Change Your Image
Al Terego
Reviews
Die Another Day (2002)
Worse than you thought
This is sad. There's good trash and bad trash, but anything with Madonna braying in it is going to make your skin crawl, unless you're fourteen and exceptionally vapid. Pierce Brosnan, John Cleese and Judy Densch are all first-rate, but what is the point of Halle Berry? She can't act! She's like an android with short hair and big milk-bags. The chemistry between her and Pierce is so forced and obviously fake you'll wish you hadn't seen it. I fell asleep during one of the car chases, I believe it was the half-hour one. Have I made my point? The script is stupid, the direction sucks, the girls don't have enough sex-power to play in a Bond movie, and the music is as bad as they can make it. Oh, and there are LOTS of explosions. If you like watching stuff blow up, maybe the flick is okay.
Angel Eyes (2001)
Sappy, stupid, awkward & hopeless
Jennifer Lopez, portraying a Chicago cop, is able to grab 200+ lb.
street-types who eat nails for breakfast, and rough 'em up good, slamming
their heads against cars and walls at will, no problem. This is stupid, but
let's go along with it. The romance part, however, is just too sappy and
disgusting to swallow, sorry. The creep is a lousy actor, and it's obvious
he and JLo have zero chemistry together. But the really impossible part is
the script. Nobody acts this stupid, and nobody wants to see other people
do
it either.
Angel Eyes (2001)
Sappy, stupid, awkward & hopeless
Jennifer Lopez, portraying a Chicago cop, is able to grab 200+ lb.
street-types who eat nails for breakfast, and rough 'em up good, slamming
their heads against cars and walls at will, no problem. This is stupid, but
let's go along with it. The romance part, however, is just too sappy and
disgusting to swallow, sorry. The creep is a lousy actor, and it's obvious
he and JLo have zero chemistry together. But the really impossible part is
the script. Nobody acts this stupid, and nobody wants to see other people
do
it either.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
Slow-moving, powerful tearjerker
Beautiful and sad, the movie spends too much of itself sentimentalising and romanticising the lives of its characters. The orphanage is populated by appealing, attractive waifs. You'll want to pack up a bunch of them and take them home yourself! The caretakers are all conscientious, caring, responsible, and competent -- were things ever so nice in a real 20's-vintage New England orphanage? The subplots bear the cartoonish imprint of John Irving, in a way that makes it more difficult than it should be to suspend disbelief.
Nevertheless, the performances are beautifully done. Michael Caine is great in his customary fashion -- he breathes life into his role with honesty, humour, and the ease which surrounds the performances of many true artists. Tobey Maguire is a very talented young man with a lot to give. The rest of the cast is impressive, almost to the very last of them. All around, there is a lot of power in this movie. If you're not sure whether to see it or not ... see it.
Schweitzer (1990)
Do you want to see a movie about a REAL saint?
Malcolm McDowell is brilliant as always. If you only know him from "A Clockwork Orange," see the movie "If ...", done in the 60's (my favorite movie as an adolescent). McDowell brings a depth that few can equal, to a role depicting one of the giants of the modern age. His German accent is perhaps not perfect ... but who cares! His sympathy for the character, his ability to climb into the mind of Dr. Schweitzer, the beauty of the set, the authenticity of the portrayal, and the power of the true story itself, make a unique and meaningful film. I strongly recommend this movie.