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Reviews
Trading Places (1983)
The Haves and The Have Nots.
I have watched TRADING PLACES more times than I can count. That's mainly because I have the video tape and DVD of this movie. I must say that as many times as I have seen this movie, it is still good. One of the things that I like about this movie is that even though it is a comedy, it shows people on all sides of the spectrum. I.E. the haves and the have-not. Just in the opening sequence alone, we go back and forth between between the lives of the well-to-do in their luxurious homes and the poor who are often living on the streets. Also, this movie shows in a comedic way what can happen when someone who is used to having everything is stripped away from it and when someone who is used to not having anything suddenly accumulates wealth.
I will give a brief synopsis of the film and then I want to comment about the film in general. Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy play two elderly brothers in Philadelphia who have a commodities business. One day, they make a bet that they could strip their star employee, played by Dan Aykroyd, from everything he has been accustomed to and at the same time, take a street-bum, played by Eddie Murphy, and turn into a successful executive. The brothers arrange for that to happen and as a result, there are a number of misunderstandings as both Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy try to sort out what has been done to them. Once they finally meet up and compare notes on what has been done to them, they come up with some revenge plans of their own.
One of the things I like about TRADING PLACES is the acting. Both Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy were excellent as the two "Duke" brothers. It should be noted that TRADING PLACES helped rejuvenate Don Ameche's film career. Denholm Elliot was good as the butler who worked for the brothers. His character is interesting because at first, he co-operated with the brothers' plan but then after a while, he kind of turned to Dan Aykroyd's side when he saw how cruel the bet was. Jamie Lee Curtis was good as Dan Aykroyd's love interest in the film. I have heard some people refer to her character as having a heart of gold. Both Dan Aykroyd's character and Eddie Murphy's character are interesting because they change a great deal throughout the film due to the circumstances they find themselves in.
There are so many scenes that I love in this film that I can't possibly mention all of them. However, I will mention a few that stand out in my mind. For one, I love how Dan Aykroyd is ready to strangle Eddie Murphy thinking he was the one who ruined him and Eddie Murphy says "It was the Dukes! It was the Dukes!" I like the bit when Eddie Murphy is going to the office on his first day of work and says to the the butler "What if I can't do it (the work)?" Denholm Elliot says in his British accent, "Just be yourself Sir. Whatever happens, they CAN'T take that away from you." In fact, that is a scene I think of whenever I have to do something that seems a bit uncomfortable. I also want to point out the scene where Don Ameche shouts to a bunch of men "F**k Him!" when he realizes that he and Ralph Bellamy have lost all their savings. What is kind of strange is that I am not used to seeing an elderly person curse in public. Anyway, I would say that the whole revenge scene is a riot. Lastly, I want to say that TRADING PLACES is the kind of film that I notice things in it after a couple of viewings that I did not the first time around. Case in point, there is a scene where Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are sitting at their desks. If you look closely, Ralph Bellamy has a picture of Ronald Reagan at his desk and Don Ameche has a picture of Richard Nixon at his desk. I point this out because while it is subtle, it shows that these men are your typical conservative business person who supports the policies of leaders like Nixon and Reagan. Also, I want to point out some motiffs in the movie. In the beginning of the film, one of the characters says to Dan Aykroyd "Looking good there Louis!" and he responds with "Feeling good Todd." At the end of the film, Dan Aykroyd says "Looking good there Billy Ray!" to Eddie Murphy and he (Murphy) replies with "Feeling good Louis!" Also, near the beginning of the film when Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy make a wager for the bet that reversed the lives of both Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd's characters, it is for $1. Later on, when Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd turn around make themselves a bet, it is for $1. I find these to be a few of the many subtle but interesting observations found in TRADING PLACES.
The Egg and I (1947)
"The Egg & I " is a riot.
This movie was based on a book of the same title. The woman who wrote the book, Betty MacDonald, wrote it with her experiences as a young wife living on a chicken farm in the Pacific Northwest. It is worth noting that in the film, Claudette Colbert's character's name is Betty and Fred MacMurray's character's name is Bob (her husband's name). As for the film, we are not told exactly where the characters are supposed to be living although it is safe to say they are far away in the country. What we do know is that Fred MacMurray plays a recent war veteran who tells Claudette Colbert, his wife, that he has just purchased a chicken farm and that he intends for them to live out there so they can raise chickens. This is the beginning of what is a riot because they are both city people trying to get used to life on the farm. Bob (Fred MacMurray's character) is overly enthusiastic about the whole move but one can tell right away that much as Betty (Claudette Colbert's character) tries to be supportive, she is not as taken by it. First of all, the farm house is decrepit, they have to deal with the Kettle clan (especially Pa Kettle who is always asking for things but never returning favors) as well as a seductive woman who has a mechanical farm next door and has eyes for Bob.
The movie is a riot as we see the couple dealing with everything I have mentioned. I have watched the movie a number of times and even have the video tape of it. I sometimes try to imagine what it would be like if someone said to me one day, "You're moving on a farm tomorrow. Now go to work!" Well, I guess it would probably not be much different from this film!
A Time to Triumph (1986)
A Very Touching and True Story
I remember seeing A TIME TO TRIUMPH a number of years ago although I did not know that was the name of it. Actually, I discovered the name recently when I was scrolling down the credits of Patty Duke and Joseph Bologna (the stars in this TV movie). Anyway, this is the true story of a construction worker with a wife and three children who has a heart attack and can't work anymore. In order to make ends meet, the wife joins the army and ultimately becomes a helicopter pilot. While this is a drama, there are some funny scenes. For instance, when Patty Duke is first in the army, she complains of the drill sergeant who she describes as a "23 year old woman who thinks she's John Wayne!" Also, the role reversal in the movie stood out in my mind. As time went on, Joseph Bologna eventually accepted the role of "househusband" and was busy raising the three children and handling the moves while Patty Duke was busy studying for exams etc. There was a scene that stands out in my mind where Joseph Bologna meets his old buddies and they make fun of him for being a "house husband." I like how he shouts back to the men and says basically, "Yeah, I'm a house husband and I am proud of what I do!" I think the ending was the most touching part of all in the film.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Classic Movie that was shocking on it's release.
I love MIDNIGHT COWBOY and have it in my video collection as it is a favorite of mine. What is interesting to me is how when MIDNIGHT COWBOY came out in 1969, it was so shocking to viewers that it was rated X. Of course, at that time X meant Maturity. Since I was only two years old at the time of the movie's release, it is hard for me to imagine just how shocked viewers were back then. However, when I try to take into account that many of the topics covered in the film, which included prostitution (the title itself was slang for a male prostitute); homosexuality; loneliness; physical (and to some extent emotional as well) abuse and drugs are hard for many people to talk about to this day, I can begin to get a sense of what viewers of this movie thought back on its release. It is worth noting that in the 1970's, MIDNIGHT COWBOY was downgraded to an R rating and even though it is still rated R, some of the scenes could almost be rated PG-13 by today's standards.
I want to briefly give a synopsis of the plot although it is probably known to almost anyone who has heard of the movie. Jon Voight plays a young man named Joe Buck from Texas who decides that he can make it big as a male hustler in New York City escorting rich women. He emulates cowboy actors like Roy Rogers by wearing a cowboy outfit thinking that that will impress women. After being rejected by all the women he has come across, he meets a sleazy con-man named Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo who is played by Dustin Hoffman. Ratso convinces Joe that he can make all kinds of money if he has a manager. Once again, Joe is conned and before long is homeless. However, Joe comes across Ratso and is invited to stay in a dilapidated apartment. Without giving away much more of the plot, I want to say that the remainder of the movie deals with Joe and Ratso as they try to help one another in an attempt to fulfill their dreams. I.E. Joe making it as a gigolo and Ratso going down to Florida where he thinks he can regain his health.
I want to make some comments about the movie itself. First of all, the acting is excellent, especially the leads. Although the movie is really very sad from the beginning to the end, there are some classic scenes. In fact, there are some scenes that while they are not intended to be funny, I find them amusing. For example, there is the classic scene where Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are walking down a city street and a cab practically runs them over. Dustin Hoffman bangs on the cab and says "Hey, I'm walkin' here! I'm walkin' here!" I get a kick out of that scene because it is so typical of New York City where so many people are in a hurry. Another scene that comes to mind is the scene where Ratso (Dustin Hoffman) sends Joe (Jon Voight) to a guy named O'Daniel. What is amusing is that at first, we think O'Daniel is there to recruit gigolos and can see why Joe is getting so excited but then we begin to realize that O'Daniel is nothing but a religious nut. In addition to the two scenes I mentioned, I love the scene where Ratso and Joe are arguing in their apartment when Ratso says to Joe that his cowboy outfit only attracts homosexuals and Joe says in self-defense "John Wayne! You gonna tell me he's a fag!" What I like is the delivery in that scene.
I would say that even though MIDNIGHT COWBOY was set in the late '60's, much of it rings true today. That's because although the area around 42nd Street in New York has been cleaned up in the form of Disneyfication in the last several years, homelessness is still just as prevalent there now as it was 40 years ago. Also, many people have unrealistic dreams of how they are going to strike it big only to have their dreams smashed as was the case with the Jon Voight character. One thing that impresses me about Jon Voight's character is how he is a survivor and I felt that at the end of the movie, he had matured a great deal and that Ratso (Dustin Hoffman's character) was a good influence on him.
In conclusion, I want to say that I suggest that when watching this movie, one should watch it at least a couple of times because there are so many things that go on. For example, there are a bunch of flashback and dream sequences that made more sense to me after a couple of viewings. Also, what I find interesting is that there is a lot in this movie that is left to interpretation such as what really happened with Joe Buck (Jon Voight's character) and the people who were in his life in Texas. Even the ending, while I don't want to give it away for those who have not seen the movie, is rather open-ended.
The Apartment (1960)
This Movie Could Easily Take Place Today!
I have watched THE APARTMENT many times and have it in my video collection as it is a favorite of mine. What strikes me is that although this movie came out in 1960, it could easily have taken place today. That is because of the events shown in the film such as nepotism and people trying to get ahead in life via immoral means as well as general misunderstandings. While the setting in the movie mainly takes place in an insurance company (as well as someone's apartment), I find that the setting could very well be any large organization.
The basic movie premise is this: Jack Lemmon plays an insurance clerk in a big insurance building in New York. He wants to get promoted and finds that the way to be noticed is to lend the key for his apartment to his "superiors" so they can have a place for their extra marital affairs. In exchange for that, the bosses give glowing reviews about him (Jack Lemmon). Fred MacMurray, who plays the corporate head honcho in the building, hears about what Jack Lemmon is doing and promotes him so HE can have a key for Jack Lemmon's apartment. This is because Fred MacMurray is having an extra marital affair with an elevator girl played by Shirley MacLaine. This creates problems because Jack Lemmon has eyes for her too. Without giving away too much more of the plot, I just want to say that the rest of the film deals with Jack Lemmon realizing what he has gotten himself into as well as the fact that he has to deal with all the complaints from the next door neighbors and the landlady.
Now I want to make some comments about THE APARTMENT itself. While it is labeled as a comedy, it is really more of a drama. Actually, none of the incidents themselves are funny. What IS funny (or perhaps ironic would be a better term) is that the characters think they know exactly what is going on when in fact, they don't but the viewer does. For instance, Jack Lemmon's next door neighbor, who is a Jewish doctor, and his wife think that Jack Lemmon is having affairs every night when in fact, we know that he is not having the affairs at all but it is all of his bosses who are. Another example involving the doctor next door is when Jack Lemmon notices Shirley MacLaine in his bed after she had overdosed on sleeping pills. The Doctor assumes that Jack Lemmon dumped her and got "another dame" when we know that he was not home and that it was Fred MacMurray who left her there. There are many more examples of this very thing I am mentioning. For instance, there is a scene where the landlady assumes that Jack Lemmon had "army maneuvers" one night because of all the racket she heard from his apartment and he replies "I'll never invite those people again." She accuses him of waking the doctor up. What is ironic is that we as the viewer KNOW that "those people" were Jack Lemmon and the Doctor as they try to wake Shirley MacLaine up after her overdose by pacing around the apartment.
Some of the other scenes I love in this movie are when Jack Lemmon is going crazy at work trying to accommodate the schedule for all his bosses while he is sick with the fever and when he is cooking an Italian dinner while singing music by the composer Tchaikowsky. What is especially funny in this scene is how he drains the spaghetti; he does so with a tennis racket.
One of the things I find about THE APARTMENT is that there are many things I have caught on repeated viewings. For instance, there is a scene towards the end of the movie where Jack Lemmon is packing up and we see his tennis racket. That in itself is not significant. What is though is that we see a strand of spaghetti in it, which undoubtedly relates to the scene earlier on when he was using the racket to drain the spaghetti.
The acting in this movie is terrific. I especially want to point out Fred MacMurray because this is one of the few movies where he played a heel. He did it so well that apparently, shortly after the release of THE APARTMENT, he took his daughters on a trip to Disney Land. While there, a fan said "I went with my daughter to see THE APARTMENT. How could you do that? You ruined the Disney image." Apparently, Fred MacMurray was very affected by it because he never played a heavy after that. It is also worth noting that Ray Walston, who later on became known for "My Favorite Martian," played one of the adulterous executives in THE APARTMENT. This movie was a big hit for Billy Wilder, who directed the movie. It is worth noting that this movie came out a year after SOME LIKE IT HOT, which was also a big hit for Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder. In conclusion, I would like to say that I never tire of THE APARTMENT and like to watch it every chance I can.
Marty (1955)
A Sleeper Hit!
While MARTY may not be well known to movie watchers today, it was a "Sleeper Hit" that came out in 1955. Ernest Borgnine played the title character and won an Oscar for Best Actor. This movie was a change for Ernest Borgnine as he had been playing heavies in Hollywood up to that time. Anyhow, the movie MARTY tells the story of a lonely over-weight Italian butcher in the Bronx, who is constantly being pestered by his mother and everyone else to get married. He has a group of friends he hangs out with. In fact, I would say that the most quoted line from the movie is when Marty and his friends say to one another "I don't know. What do you feeling like doing tonight, Marty?" "I don't know. What do you feeling like doing tonight, Ang?" However, Marty is really very lonely and it is not until he gets talked into going to a dance hall that he realizes how lonely he has been. That is because he meets a girl named Clara, played by Betsy Blair. The two share a dance and find that not only do they like each other but they share things in common. However, the two big stumbling blocks are Marty's mother and friends who don't approve of Clara for their own envious reasons; his mother because she thinks she will lose him and his friends because they think Clara is a "Dog." Note: "Dog" was considered slang for someone being unattractive.
Like MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING was when it came out a few years back, MARTY was considered a "sleeper hit" when it came out in the 1950's. Also, like MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING, MARTY had a relatively small budget. It is worth noting that MARTY was originally a televised play with Rod Steiger playing the character of Marty. This is not a very long movie; about an hour and a half. I have MARTY in my video collection and like to watch it from time to time. In fact, whenever I watch MARTY, I find that I can relate to all the characters in this film in one way or another, especially Marty. That's because, like most people, I have been rejected in one way or another over the years.
The War of the Roses (1989)
A VERY, VERY Dark Comedy!
I remember watching THE WAR OF THE ROSES when it first came out in the fall of 1989. I was a senior in college at the time. A few years later, when I was buying movies on video tape, I bought this movie and have viewed it from time to time since then. What strikes me is that not only is this movie an extremely dark comedy (in some ways almost a Horror movie) but one that has a lot of subtle things that are bubbling below the surface. Before getting into detail about that, I want to give a synopsis of the story. THE WAR OF THE ROSES stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a Yuppie couple named Oliver and Barbara Rose. At first, they seem to be very happy. Oliver is a lawyer and Barbara is a housewife. They raise a son and a daughter and live in a very big house that Barabara has spent years decorating. However, she decides one day she wants out of the marriage. Oliver does not believe it and from this point on, things get from bad to worse. Danny De Vito, who plays Gavin, Oliver's best friend and lawyer, tries to talk sense into him but Oliver won't listen to his advice. From this point until the end of the movie, each spouse is constantly figuring out how to outsmart the other. A big part of their problem is that both of them are very stubborn and refuse to sell the house.
When I first watched THE WAR OF THE ROSES, I basically looked at it from the viewpoint that things fell apart when Barbara announced that she wanted a divorce. However, after viewing THE WAR OF THE ROSES a couple of times, I began to notice that there was a lot of tension between the two main characters throughout the movie. A good example is when Oliver and Barbara are still living in their apartment, they invite some of Oliver's co-workers over for dinner. Barbara starts telling the story of how she acquired some glassware on a trip she and Oliver took in Paris. Oliver feels she is rambling on so he cuts her off by saying, "To make a long story short..." and he finishes the story for her. She is obviously annoyed by it and when Oliver comments that everybody had a good time at the party, she says "To make a long story short, No!" Not only that but she is put off by what she calls his "phony laugh." Here are some other examples of the tension between the couple leading up to time of the breakup: When Barbara decides to go into business for herself by catering, she wants Oliver to look at her contract. He berates her by calling it a "little contract" and uses it to swipe a fly. Around that same time, Oliver receives a phone call from a client named Larabee. Barbara resents the fact that he is obsessed by this client so while he is on the phone, she turns on all the appliances in the house in an attempt to show how she feels. Another example involves Barbara and Oliver having dinner one night. Not much is said but the camera angles and the body language show it all. A major scene that shows the tension between Barbara and Oliver, I think, is when Oliver is having what he thinks is a heart attack in the middle of a business lunch. Despite Barbara's acting like she is concerned, she refuses to go to the hospital to see him. Naturally, Oliver is upset and resentful of this. Again, as I said, all of this was before the "divorce" occurred and this is to show that what may have seemed like minor annoyances at one point grew into fights between the two. After the two break up, neither of them want to budge and it causes friction for everyone involved. By that, I mean their kids, Gavin and the housekeeper. Because the Roses were unwilling to compromise, they destroyed practically everything they ever had. I would say that the moral of the story is for a couple who is about to be divorced, to try to work things out so the spouses can get through the divorce as painless as possible. This is the point that Danny De Vito's character essentially tells his client in the movie. It is worth noting that in addition to acting in THE WAR OF THE ROSES, Danny De Vito directed it as well. As was true with THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, Danny De Vito specializes in directing very dark-comedy. I heard once that Michael Douglas commented that when making this movie, he and Kathleen Turner had to remind each other that they were still friends. Having watched this movie, I can understand why! Anyway, I recommend THE WAR OF THE ROSES to those viewers who love black comedy as this fits that description to a "T."
Prime (2005)
Prime Is Really Funny!
Just a few nights ago, I went to the movies with a friend of mine. We both decided to see PRIME partly because we both like Meryl Streep and also, because we heard that the movie was supposed to be funny. Well, we both liked it and not only that, but just about everyone in the theater seemed to feel the same way.
As for the story, Uma Thurman plays a newly divorced 37 year old named Rafi who meets up with a 24 year old kid named Dave played by Bryan Greenburg. Before long, they start a relationship together despite the big age difference between the two. That in itself may not be significant. However, what IS significant is that all this time, Rafi is seeing a therapist named Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep) who turns out to be the mother of Dave, Rafi's love interest. What makes the movie so funny, I think, is the fact that we know all the angles by now although the characters don't at first. For instance, I found it very amusing to hear Rafi tell Lisa the intimate sexual details etc. pertaining to Dave because we KNOW exactly where the characters fit in before they do themselves. Perhaps my favorite scene in the movie involving all the main characters is when Lisa and her husband go in a Crate & Barrel store and spy on Dave and Rafi together. What I also found funny and ironic at the same time is that after Lisa discovers that Rafi's boyfriend is none other than her own son Dave, she goes to see a therapist herself to sort out the difficulties SHE now finds herself facing concerning her son's relationship. One of the problems Lisa has is that Rafi is not Jewish.
What I would also like to say without giving too much away is that the movie had a realistic ending. Much was made about the age difference between Uma Thurman's character and Bryan Greenburg's character. I think that when push came to shove, their relationship together served a purpose but it was not meant to last as they were much too different. Rafi had been around longer and knew what she wanted and needed in life. Dave was much younger and still needed time to grow as a person. While I find that most movies like this would have a predictable and unrealistic ending, I felt that was not true with this movie. After watching PRIME the other night, I even said to my friend "What do you make of the ending?" because it made me think a little bit and she basically felt the same way. In conclusion, I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys comedy and loves Meryl Streep as she was good in this movie as was Uma Thurman.
Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
Realistic Story About Two Alcoholics
As long as I can remember, I have always known and liked the song called "Days Of Wine And Roses" that was written by Henry Mancini for the movie of the same name. Also, as long as I have been interested in movies, I understood that DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES was the story of two alcoholics as portrayed by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. However, I never got around to seeing the movie until just a few days ago when I rented it. Having watched the movie, I plan to buy it on DVD. For those readers who have not seen the movie, the story itself is as such: Jack Lemmon plays Joe Clay, a public relations worker who enjoys a drink to relax. Almost from the beginning, it is apparent that he is more than just a social drinker, hence his constantly saying "Hit me up!" He meets a woman named Kirsten, played by Lee Remick, who does not drink at all. As they get to be friendly, she relents and finds that she enjoys alcohol. It starts out fun and social as the title would depict. They eventually marry and have a daughter. However, it is not long afterward that their downward spiral begins. After several mishaps including Joe losing his job, he realizes it is time to get sober. They get clean but then fall off the bandwagon. At this point, Joe realizes he is an alcoholic and joins Alcoholics Anonymous but Kirsten fails to admit that she too is an alcoholic. After yet another relapse, Joe sobers up and about a year later, he says to Kirsten he would take her back if and ONLY if she will admit she is an alcoholic. She still is not able to admit that she has a problem with alcohol too and the movie ends with Kirsten walking down the street while Joe watches her from his window.
While viewing the movie, it started off rather slow but then it really got my attention and was quite shocking. I especially felt that way about the scene where Jack Lemmon, after having a relapse, destroys his father-in-law's greenhouse while searching for a hidden bottle of liquor. I also felt it showed the guilt Jack Lemmon's character had about his drinking problem as well as the fact that he turned his wife onto drink too. The scene in the latter part of the movie where he tries to make peace with his father-in-law shows how he wants to make up for all the damage and sorrow he had caused. What was also realistic, I felt, was the depiction that although drinking was fun and social for the couple at first, it became a hardship that caused problems for both of them. The portrayal was realistic in that both characters, especially Jack Lemmon's, had trouble staying off alcohol and relapsed several times. I would like to comment about the ending. While Lee Remick's character was not ready to admit she was an alcoholic, in the final scene, she DOES NOT stop in the bar down the street. That gives me hope that perhaps she will eventually acknowledge her problem and also, seeing that her husband has been without a drink for almost a year might give her the incentive to do the same.
Pretty Woman (1990)
Cute Movie
I remember when PRETTY WOMAN first came out in the summer of 1990. I did not go see it then but remember how people made a big fuss about the movie. All these years, I had not watched the movie except for bits and pieces of it. At any rate, I took the time to rent it and actually found it to be a cute movie. In fact, it was better than I expected. Did I find the movie to be realistic at all? Absolutely not. However, it IS a fairytale and by viewing it from that perspective, I enjoyed it. The basic premise is that Julia Roberts plays a prostitute named Vivian who, despite her profession, is basically a good person. One night, Richard Gere (Edward) picks her up and decides he wants to use her for a night. He ends up using her for the week. During that time, he shows her a side to life that she has never been exposed to before such as attending the opera. The week goes by and they both find that they really like each other but they realize they need to part ways. Of course, this being a fairytale, he finds her and they go off to live happily ever after.
Again, if I were to judge the movie on how realistic I felt it was, I would say completely unrealistic. However, judging the movie for what it is, it showed that here were two people who, despite their both being totally different on the surface were actually quite similar. I.E. Julia Roberts's character Vivian is a hooker and Richard Gere's character Edward is a businessman who makes a living through mergers and acquisitions. My point is that that both characters basically use people to make money. Also, it showed how Vivian who was street-smart kind of softened Edward up a little and at the same time, Edward showed Vivian a life outside of prostitution. If there is one thing I want to say about PRETTY WOMAN, I want to say that I found the message to be that it is never to late to follow one's dreams.
As for this movie, I understand there were several script versions for it. At one point, Al Pacino was considered for the Richard Gere role. Personally, I imagine this would have been a darker movie had Al Pacino starred in it. Also, I understand there was a version where Vivian was on cocaine and her roommate Kit died of a drug over-dose. Had that version been made, the film would have been more realistic. However, as I stated above, this is basically a Cinderella story.
I want to mention a few things about PRETTY WOMAN. Probably one of my favorite scenes in the movie is where Vivian (Julia Roberts) walks along Rodeo Drive wearing her tall black hooker boots and her mini-skirt. Here she is completely out of place and when she goes into the fancy shops in an attempt to buy "more appropriate" clothing, the merchants refuse to help her. Then the next day, after a nice lady helped her, she goes to the merchants who would not help her and said "Do you remember me? You wouldn't help me. Do you work on commission? Big Mistake!" I liked that scene because as is so often the case, people tend to judge others only on the surface or think "this person has no money. He's not well dressed." When watching the DVD of PRETTY WOMAN, I also took the time to watch the movie with the narration by Garry Marshall, the director. That is very interesting as he explains how the different scenes were shot and why they turned out the way they did. It is also worth mentioning that this is the very last movie that Ralph Bellamy made as he passed away a year or so after the film was released. In conclusion, I want to say PRETTY WOMAN is worth watching some time when you just want to relax and not deal with reality.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Good But Kind Of Over-Rated
KRAMER VS. KRAMER was a big hit for everyone involved when it came out in 1979 as it won awards for Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep and Best Picture. This movie was also significant as it is probably the first major movie to deal with divorce; an unfortunate but common occurrence in every day life. KRAMER VS. KRAMER tells the story of Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman), an ad-executive who comes home one night only to find that his wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) is leaving him with their 7 year old son Billy (played by Justin Henry). The movie goes through the day to day events as Ted tries to care for Billy and hold down a job. However, no sooner do the father and son learn to deal with one another that Joanna comes back and wants her son back. Of course, this leads to a court case where the two fight to have the kid. As was often the case with divorces at the time (this took place in the late '70's), the judge sided with the mother. However, after Joanna won the case, she came to decide at the very end that Billy indeed should stay with his father.
In viewing this movie and I have done so a number of times over the years, I feel this movie is kind of over-rated. Here are some of the flaws that I see in the film. First of all, in the very beginning of the movie, we see that Joanna is packing her suitcase and basically announces to Ted that she is leaving. She doesn't seem to know where she is going or anything. Also, there does not seem to be any build up. True, the movie starts that way but I kind of felt there should have been a real confrontation between the couple first. On his part, it seemed like he had no sense that his wife was about to leave him although it is true that Ted Kramer was portrayed to be totally obsessed with his work. Of course, as I mentioned before, the bulk of the film deals with Ted learning to bond with his son. Another problem I had was that when Ted lost his job, he got a new one in "less than 24 hours." I realize that this was in the days before corporate downsizing laid people off in droves and it probably was not as hard to find another job that was self-supporting as it would be now. However, even back then, I don't think he would have found another job on a par of what he was doing (although it was considered a step-down for him) so fast despite his hustling for a new one. The movie does show that he was desperate to take ANY job at that point and it is true that when one is desperate, he or she will often do whatever it takes to get a new job. Anyway, I also had a problem with the way Ted conducted himself in the court scene when he was asked upsetting questions pertaining to how he made mistakes on the job and ultimately was let go. Granted, Ted was upset and rightfully so but I felt he should have handled himself better by keeping his answers short and not rambling on to defend his actions. As I mentioned before, at the time the movie took place, the judges almost always sided with the mother in a divorce but I do think the way Ted conducted himself may have contributed to why the judge went against him. Lastly, I felt that the ending did not seem plausible. At the end, Joanna, after winning the case, decided that her son did not belong with her but with his father instead. It did not make sense to me that she would have gone through all the trouble of fighting for custody only to say that her son did not belong with her although it was true that she did not really know what she wanted in her life. To me, a more realistic ending would have been that Billy went to live with his mother and that after work one day, Ted would go and pay a surprise visit to Billy. This would show Billy that while his father might not have full custody of him, his father would continue to be an important person in his life.
In reading the comments I have just given, one might conclude that I did not like the film. That's not the case. It's just that I was pointing out what did not seem right to me. However, I did like the movie in the sense that some years ago, I took the time to buy a video-tape of it. Also, I enjoyed some of the scenes including where Ted makes French toast with his son. The scene where they do so after the trial showed how much closer they were from the beginning of the movie. Another scene worth mentioning is the famous one where the woman Ted is dating is staying over and Billy asks her (while she is naked) "Do you like fried chicken?" as it showed how cute and innocent he (Billy) really was. Overall, the movie did a good job of showing how Ted and his son bonded as there were scenes where they read together etc. I would say that was probably the strongest aspect of the film.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Very Thought Provoking Film
I recently took the time to watch GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and remembered how when the movie came out in 1992, much was said about the constant profanity used in the film, especially the "F" word. I have read other sources and I would find it believable that in real life, people like the characters depicted would constantly be swearing. That aside, I found the movie to be very thought provoking as it basically shows what happens to people when they are desperate. For a little background, this film was originally a play by David Mamet and frankly, I essentially found this movie to be a play that was filmed. Also, this was an all-star cast with Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin among others. For those readers who have not seen the film, the basic premise is that Alec Baldwin plays a hotshot in the company who tells all the workers that if they don't begin to close any new deals soon, they will be out of a job. For the most part, the office workers find the new leads to be worthless. Therefore, they become desperate and will do whatever they can to get ahead even if it means lie, cheat and steal. What impressed me about the film is how it showed that nobody cares how much experience one might have; all that matters is "Can one get the results?" To show an example of this, Jack Lemmon played Shelley "The Machine" Levine who was an experienced sales man and had gotten results in the past. However, it did not seem to matter since he did not seem to be getting the same results now. Also, the film showed other "typical" type of workers that people could relate to such as Al Pacino's Ricky Roma who was the hotshot in the office and felt he was the one to win all the rewards. To me, Ed Harris's character came across to me as someone who was not really a bad person but turned to less than honest means because he was desperate. Kevin Spacey's character (the office manager John Williams) seemed to me like the person trying to keep order in the office and did not have too much sympathy towards anyone. Alec Baldwin's role was very effective as the big shot who wanted to scare everyone. Just about anyone can say they have had an employer at one point or another who acted that way. In conclusion, I might suggest that the viewer might want to watch this film a second time because even though it is not very long, there is a lot that goes on. Personally, I felt the movie made more sense to me on my second viewing of it.
Adaptation. (2002)
Very Unique Movie
ADAPTATION is a very unique movie in that it has essentially several stories in one. Also, it is a combination of real characters and fictional characters in one as well as using real life situations that involved them. First, we have Nicolas Cage who actually plays two brothers: Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman of whom the latter one is fictional. Both of them are writers. Meryl Streep plays Susan Orlean, a writer for the NEW YORKER. Lastly, Chris Cooper plays John Laroche, an orchid hunter in the Everglades.
For those who have not seen the movie, this is the basic premise: The movie starts with the filming of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, which was directed by the same director as this movie: Spike Jonez. At any rate, Charlie Kaufman is a script writer who is assigned to write a screen play out of "The Orhard Thief" of which was written by Susan Orlean. However, Charlie is struggling to adapt the screenplay, which is not helped by the fact that his brother Donald has no trouble with his writing of car chases. Meanwhile, Susan Orlean is sent on assignment to interview John Larroche and write about the orchids. This leads to an obsession for all the different characters as they struggle in their own unique way. Susan and John end up in a relationship together. Meanwhile, Charlie is obsessed by Susan although he is afraid to meet with her when an opportunity arises. He attends a script writing lecture in New York and afterward, he writes himself into his script. Through all this, the movie inter-cuts between several situations among the different characters I mentioned until we come to a wild shootout. In the end, Charlie finishes writing his screen play and has regained his confidence. While I may not have explained the premise real well, this is essentially what happens. Watching the film, I kept wondering how things would work out and everything seems to fit together at the end. I personally own the film on DVD and would recommend it to others.
She-Devil (1989)
This Movie Is A Riot!
For the life of me, I can not figure out why this movie was not well received on its initial release because I find this movie to be a riot. In fact, every time I have seen this movie, I can't help but laugh. Anyway, for those who have not seen this movie, Rosanne Barr (this was before she dropped the "Barr" from her stage name) plays a frumpy housewife named Ruth Patchett whose husband is an accountant named Bob played by Ed Begley Jr. She goes to a party with him and it is there that he meets Meryl Streep (Mary Fisher), who is a famous writer of romance novels. Shortly after their meeting one another, Bob begins an affair with Mary Fisher. When Ruth discovers this, she comes up with a revenge plan of her own by making a list of Bob's most important assets: Home, Family, Career and Freedom. One by one, she destroys all four of them in a wicked and comical way. Hence, the title SHE DEVIL. There are a lot of funny parts to it like when Mary tries to do the laundry and puts bleach in it thinking it is detergent as well as when Ruth gets together with a former employee of Bob's named Olivia and they come up with a scheme to frame Bob. Anyway, I have this movie on video tape and I recommend it to anyone who loves slapstick comedy and/or loves Meryl Streep as she is great in this role. Sylvia Miles plays Meryl Streep's mother and she is a riot. The same thing goes for Rosanne as well.
Heartburn (1986)
Not a bad movie but could be better.
Just recently, I watched the movie HEARTBURN after not having seen it in years. While I thought it was not a bad movie and there were some good parts to it, I did feel that it should have been better. As for what I did like, the acting was good over-all although I would have preferred Dustin Hoffman in the Jack Nicholson part due to his having played Carl Bernstein in ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (of whom the character was loosely based on). I thought it was interesting how Meryl Streep's character is very happy after she is married and starts her family. Also, the contrast was good in Meryl Streep's reaction when she discovers that Jack Nicholson has been cheating on her. I could see the devastation in her face when she realized that her married life would never be the same again. The scene where Jack Nicholson goes back to New York to get her to reconcile showed how torn she really was about leaving him. I also liked the part where she was telling her friend how she was trying to be happy while making her husband dinner when she was not at all (hence her looking to find evidence of whether he was still cheating on her). Lastly, I liked the final scene where Meryl Streep puts the pie in Jack Nicholson's face while in front of some house guests at the dinner party as it showed the shocking reaction the guests had as well as the fact that Meryl Streep definitely wanted out of the marriage by that point and had had it with Jack Nicholson's fooling around.
Now for the negative parts: My strongest objection was that the movie just ended without any real conclusion. Granted, it was clear that the two leads were going to get divorced but I actually would have wanted to see them get divorced. The movie would have been stronger if it showed whether or not Meryl Streep's character and Jack Nicholson's character had had any regrets. Also, I think it would have been a better film if it made more use of the secondary characters because as is often the case with divorces in real life, friends and relatives often end up taking sides. I personally think it would have been a more substantial film if it showed whether any of the friends of the main characters ended up taking sides and why. Also, the boss and friend of Meryl Streep's character (Jeff Daniels) seemed to like her a lot. It would have been interesting to see if they ended up together. As for the kids, what would now happen to their lives? I also felt the movie had some gaps that were never answered. In the beginning of the film, Meryl Streep has reservations about ever being married again and she goes as far as to say she does not believe in marriage. Then it's like next thing you know, she is marrying Jack Nicholson despite his reputation as a womanizer. She is even warned about him by his friends on the actual day of the ceremony. Granted, I realize you can't show everything in a movie but why was this not answered? It seemed like a big jump to me. Lastly, I felt there were some scenes like the quasi MASTERPIECE THEATRE bit could have been left out all together. In conclusion, I would say that it is too bad the final product was rendered the way it was since the film had a great deal more potential.