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Reviews
Candy (2006)
A watered down movie about the horrors of addiction
When I saw the storyline for Candy, and the cast (Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush) I TiVo'ed it with the excitement of what was certainly going to be an excellent piece of storytelling. How wrong I was. The characters were mainly cutouts, and the story was actually milquetoast. The one concession, and the grittiest moment was during Candy's miscarriage. But one 15 minute scene does not a movie make. The performances were admirable, Abbie Cornish is a very talented actress, and Heath Ledger is quite decent as well. Geoffrey Rush was completely wasted in this film, though. His talent far exceeded the role, thereby making his few on screen moments seem campy and overdone.
If you want to see the true grit of a bleak storyline such as heroin addiction, I recommend Christiane F. or Panic in Needle Park. For subject matter, they are much better, and more three dimensional than this piece of fluff.
The Bronx Is Burning (2007)
Unbelievably awesome!
Wow wow wow! With the World Series coming up (Go Rockies!), I was glad to see that ESPN showed a marathon of The Bronx is Burning. I watched the entire series, only pausing to go to the restroom or grab a soda. It is that riveting. This was done so incredibly well, interweaving the events that were unfolding in New York City in 1976 and 1977, while a minor drama played out in the House that Ruth Built. Beginning with the signing of Billy Martin, arguably on of the best managers to ever be in the Major League Baseball organization, to the signing of "Mr. October" to the amazing 1977 World Series, this played out beautifully. A welcome twist was the storyline within the storyline about the efforts to capture David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, that terrorized New York Cty in 1976 and 1977. It was almost like getting two mini series in one, complete with 2 all star casts. John Turturro was spot on as Billy Martin, capturing that manic energy he was famous for perfectly. I can never say anything other than glowing comments about Oliver Platt, one of the most underrated actors of our generation. His performance as George Steinbrenner was captivating. Daniel Sunjata was eerie as Reggie Jackson, bringing a lot of depth to Jackson, and his image. From every little detail, the archival footage of the games, to the footage of the 1977 Mayoral Race, to the capture of New Yorks most notorious serial killer, everything about this series lent more authenticity to the entire story. Watching the footage of the 1977 World Series brought back memories because I remember being a 10 year old girl, glued to the set because my beloved Dodgers were in the World Series. Anyone who is a fan of the game needs to see this series. The interviews with George, Reggie, Billy's son, Bucky Dent, Willie Randolph, Lou Piniella, and countless others gives an amazing glimpse into what it was like being in that Molotov cocktail that was the New York Yankees.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
A terrific movie that didn't get it's due
This movie is such an underrated classic. It's initial release was overshadowed by "TO Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar", because most of the general public couldn't wait to run out and see Swayze, Snipes and Leguizamo in a dress. But the real warmth comes from this little Australian Film. I worked in the "Drag Queen" Industry (although not as a drag queen - I was the genetic female cocktail waitress) and the general consensus was that this was a much more accurate portrayal of the life of a Drag Queen. Humorous beyond measure, yet poignant enough to give a glimpse into some of the problems and obstacles (Bernadette and Tick's conversation at dinner, Felicia's drugged out beating, the bus) facing alternative lifestyles. All in all it was a very good movie, portrayed by three very good actors.