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mahkiesl
Reviews
Agnes of God (1985)
Such a good movie.
Having seen this movie for the first time when I was 15 or so, and having no idea what I was watching, I was in for some great viewing when I watched it again 20 years later.
The cast, needless to say, is stupendous. Jane Fonda, the late Anne Bancroft, and a fledgling Meg Tilly, back in a time when movies with just women actors were unheard of, especially dramas.
The plot of the movie orbits around a crime. In a convent, in the middle of a cold Canadian night, a scream in the darkness uncovers an unconscious Nun, Agnes(Meg Tilly), coverd in blood. After she is taken away the mother superior(Anne Bancroft) finds, to her horror, a dead baby in the waste paper basket in Agnes' cell.
Leary of sending a Nun to prison the Candian legal system assigns a psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) to Agnes to determine that Agnes is insane and to have her committed.
We soon find out, the Agnes, very young, innocent, and iggnorant of the ways of the world, had no idea that she was pregnant, how she became pregnant, or how anyone becomes pregnant. Agnes often is spoken to by someone she calls "the lady", as well as her dead mother. There are plot twists, and faith based happenings, and possible psychological explanations to things that happen in this movie to the point that would leave anyone guessing.
I believe this movie to be a hidden classic. The acting is superb, and seamless. The only thing I would question in this movie is the directors decision to make Jane Fonda's character (Dr. Martha Livingston) smoke so much. It is clear that Ms. Fonda did not smoke at the time, and she handles the cigarettes awkwardly at times.
Meg Tilly, however, is the light of this movie. She displays a John Malkovich ability to act seemingly crazy, but somehow not, at the same time.
Anne Bancroft, when is there ever anything to say about her, other then utter perfection.
The end of the movie leaves the watcher to make his or her own decision. Is Agnes insane? Or was she brutilized horribly by some man that managed to sneak into the convent. Why did the Mother Superior not tell everything she knew sooner? Truly a wonderful piece of film!
Nine to Five (1980)
Fun, fun, fun
Sadly enough, I have to admit, I can practically recite this movie line, by line as I watch it. To me, its the perfect lazy day movie. It is a sad, but true, sign of the time the movie that was released. it shows three of the ways that women were (and sometimes still are!!) mistreated in the work place, and in Judy's case, life.
Lily Tomlin is at her comical best in this movie
Jane Fonda plays the shrunk, but unshrinking flower brilliantly.
Dolly Pardon, in her first movie performance, has a few bad acting moments, but for the most part recovers and stays within her range, and pulls it off wonderfully.
9 to 5 is just a fun movie. It doesn't try to be anything other than what it is, and sends a message at the same time: Women are smart, don't mess with them.
The 4400 (2004)
Not to bad....
I accidentally came across "The 4400" last night, and decided to watch it. This, after dismissing it as cheesy because for all intensive purposes it looked awful. I was wrong. I have read all of the previous comments, and I have to agree with some points. The acting is not stellar. But, as I recall, there were a few episodes in the first season of the X-files stunk, as well. Sometimes the actors don't "find" the character for a few episodes, and I am okay with that. The inconsistency with the comet, and the missiles bugged me as well, but the whole thing was over fast enough for me to forget about it after a few minutes, so I was okay with that as well.
The thing I loved about this show was that they didn't spend forever on the return. The show is about the aftermath of the abductions. That they moved on in the first 15 minutes of the show made me so happy. Taken was such a disappointment to me. Way to long, way to drawn out, here we get right to the point.
Who's to say what would happen really, if something like this were to occur?
The aliens did not stay, and the returnees have no memory of what happened.... how long could you beat that dead horse?
And I think these days it's impossible for something new to not be compared to movies, or shows from the past. There are constant references to the X-Files, and the X-men...so what? It was entertaining and interesting. Isn't that all we really need?