Change Your Image
PuravidaSlant
Reviews
42 (2013)
I was expecting the racial aspect of the story to be handled like the proverbial "blunt object"
Last night I saw "42", the new bio-pic about the great Dodger ball player Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.
Usually I don't like sports films because the actors are always not really athletes and their athletic shortcomings distract me from enjoying the film. Not so in "42"! I grew up in the NYC area in the 40's and 50's. Phil Rizzuto lived about 3 blocks away. I met quite a few of the Dodgers and Yankees as a kid. Every detail of this film was perfect. From the way Jackie used to grip and re-grip the bat while waiting for a pitch to the sets to well, everything.
Before watching the film I was expecting the racial aspect of the story to be handled like the proverbial "blunt object" and thus reducing a great Seminole time in my life into a cartoon-like morality play without any shades of gray, just good and bad. Not so "42"! The ugly bigots were exquisitely portrayed in all their pathetic glory but the film was about Jackie and it was genius. It was the best portrayal of those wonderful beginnings of the first steps toward an enlightenment I welcomed as a kid and am still waiting to come to fruition. It was a great first step in pro-sports and this film did it the justice it so richly deserves.
The Royal Bodyguard (2011)
Far from purrrrrfect
I am a big fan of David Jason's work. I have enjoyed everything I have ever seen him do. I especially liked his very believable capacity of being the inside guy, the market hustler, the anti-establishment cop who got the bad guy, the charming rogue with a knowing smile and, when needed, the capacity for a spot of pathos. And now this. I don't know what demographic the executives at BBC were thinking of pleasing when they approved this stinker. A young viewer wouldn't find this Mister Magoo with bad lines and no plot worth their time. I guess the target demo might be older viewers who never liked David Jason and now find joy in watching him fail. The failure here is the "boss" who made the decision to let this poor concept get past the pitch. David my old friend, look for roles that cast you as a smartypants old duffer and we'll all go out laughing. Now that would be purrrrrfect!
Person of Interest (2011)
Please stop the politically correct machine
To have any hope of finding this show entertaining one is required to do much more than suspend disbelief. I do that all the time while enjoying all kinds of fiction. The problem is this show has such a cascade of politically correct plot elements that they kept insulting my basic innate intelligence. It kept jarring me back from a state of suspended disbelief to the worst of today's PC world that is only entertaining when it is the subject of satire. The acting was fine but the writing is the problem. Too bad, it could have been worth watching if it hadn't been written as if by a committee of suits not to mention it is completely devoid of humor.
Boardwalk Empire (2010)
"Jersey shore circa 1920"..... ticks all the boxes.
I'm always amazed when some people like things I find really lame and visa versa. Well, Broadway Empire aka "Jersey shore circa 1920" is my latest example of the visa versa thing. For me, this period piece is close to perfect. Steve Buscemi in the role of the sympathetic gangster Nucky Thompson is the perfect foil to weave a number of characters and plot lines around. The writing was tight and the casting represented a rich mix which has always been a hallmark of any drama worth it's salt based in The Garden State.
As a Jersey boy who grew up in beautiful Newark during the 40's and 50's this costume drama ticks all the boxes. For those who found fault, you are a mystery to me.
The Glades (2010)
The unchecked hubris of the lead character became so old so fast it was stunning.
Standard fair cop show featuring a "special" detective among, from his point of view, a world of dolts whom he can insult at will. The unchecked hubris of the lead character became so old so fast it was stunning. He is described as a Chicago cop who couldn't get along with his boss and wound up in Florida hoping to write a few traffic tickets and play a lot of golf. He goes from scene to scene insulting almost everyone he encounters. Please understand, I dig anti-hero characters. I understand the concept but this cartoon-like fathead is so full of himself he is like fingernails on a chalk board. There is no comedy relief. It is just this boring pinball bouncing around until a predictable resolution to the "mystery" is mercifully provided. I watched 3 episodes and it just got worse. By the way, it has almost nothing to do with the Everglades.