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Marzorati2002
Reviews
Looking Through Lillian (2001)
Fascinatingly non-definitive and authentic
I had to give this movie a 10 which usually I would reserve for the perfect film - which this is not, but the heart behind the performance given by the lead actress, Jade Henham who portrays Lillian, suckered me in to feeling that it deserved it just on that. It was a really weird experience watching her as she acts as though she's in a documentary and not a feature. Everything seemed to come so easily and natural and heartfelt that I felt like I was invading someone's privacy, at least for the first half. By that point, I was so in to what she was going through that I forgot about my embarrassment about spying on her and reminded myself that I was, after all, just watching a film, and allowed myself to follow her with abandonment. The one confusing this about this film was trying to place it in a particular genre - for all the comments I could give, I would not be able to tackle that one. Nor can I say that the movie is not flawed. It is. I didn't really believe very much in the work of her romantic interest, Luke, played by Robert Glenn Keith and I found her best friend to be slightly two dimensional. But even though those two characters take up a certain amount of screen time, one never forgets that the real story and impetus for the film's existence is the story of Lillian and her Sugar Daddy, Gene, played by Sam Bottoms. Although I found Henham to be stronger in her authenticity then Bottoms, I still have to say that he was outstanding opposite her and if there's anything that really fascinated me, it was just the character itself that he was playing. I found it to be especially interesting to see him as he is without the film ever bothering to get in to all that hoopla about why he is the way he is. This is one of those films where the people in it are just the way they are and the film makes no apologies for who they are nor feels any compulsion to have to rationalize or explain why. Much like real life. Things are as they are, what happens is what counts.
Not a film for those who are looking for the 'sit back and be entertained by the studio formula' but a really worthwhile film to be an active participant in and let the brain percolate and the heart follow. And once again, there's the strange anomaly of Jade Henham, who comes across as a one of a kind. Whether she'll stay that way is something yet to be seen.
Vertical Limit (2000)
You gotta give it some credit
I kind of find the rating for this movie lower than I would have expected. Perhaps it's my fear of heights and particularly mountains, or maybe it's that it was the first DVD that I saw on my new widescreen television, but I don't think I've ever had as much fun. Actually, I'm sure that it being my first DVD experience had something to do with that. Nonetheless, I thought the story was great, the mountain a formidable character in itself and the angles breathtaking. Bill Paxton got on my nerves a little, and not just because his character was a jerk, but I enjoyed all the other actors and thought that the whole idea of what it is to tackle K-2 was amazing. The other thing was that the DVD was so packed with extras that I found myself really finding it to be an interactive experience, instead of one of those DVDs which just comes with a trailer and the movie.
A very entertaining film. A hell of a lot better than most other "entertainment" films. I'd recommend this movie to anyone. And good going on Chris O'Donnell, he seems to have found a hard time making the transition from a boy in Scent of a Woman to a man. A wise pick for him to do this film because it played up his best attributes and allowed him to split the difference.
Magnolia (1999)
The San Fernando Valley just got deeper
Definitely one of my favorite films. I keep running into people who diss this film for being too weepy and over the top and I could not agree less with them. Out of all of Anderson's movies, I think this is still by far the best. Yeah, I know that everyone is ranting over Punch Drunk Love, but for me Magnolia is so much broader and intricate and heartfelt and human, that it blows Punch Drunk out of the water. Every single performance in this film is exceptional, with special mention going out to Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly. And for all those people annoyed with Melora Walters for crying and being a wreck through the movie - what do you expect from an unhinged cocaine addict with no self-esteem, estranged from her parents and carrying the burden of one of the most damaging experiences we suffer from in modern society. This film to me was all about connecting, or the inability of to and the loneliness that we, as humans, so often carry with us. To call this a melodrama is ridiculous. Anderson fills the film with as much dark humor and hope as he does anguish. I especially loved the opening - the imagination of Anderson is one of a kind and he is a voice to be reckoned with. And what balls! How he got his whole cast, including Tom Cruise, to sing in the middle of the film, is a testament to his vision and the trust his actors put in him. Frogs falling from the sky, the power of the cock, child genuises, both present and past, parental estrangement, guilt, truth, the longing to reach out and the fear that stops us, this movie has it all. Like I said, one of my favorite films and definitely worth watching. If you don't get it, then it's beyond my comprehension.
Awesome, awesome film. And P.T.? Don't let the system take your edge away because you're one of a kind.
Frida (2002)
Frida, you deserve better
As much as I'd love to give this movie two thumbs up after having read so many books of Frida Kahlo and being a fan of hers, there's no way in hell that I can. The movie isn't horrid, but it's slightly lackluster and definitely a disappointment from what I was expecting. Frida was a complicated and intricate woman, which shows in her art. And her life is definitely the stuff of drama. But growing a single brow across the forehead and letting a woman be 'hairy' just isn't enough to portray or inhabit this intricate woman. I know this was a labor of love for Selma Hayek which makes it all the more painstaking to walk away without being able to give it accolades, but I don't think she did Ms. Kahlo justice, nor do I think that she was right or versatile enough to play the role convincingly. Robert DeNiro as Jake LaMotta, now there's someone that went all the way with a real life human being. Selma Hayek, although tackling a completely different creature came nowhere close to giving her that authenticity or innner life. Alfred Molina shows up for the part and does his best, but once again, I kept feeling that there was a better choice out there for Rivera. Ashley Judd was game to turn in a role, but still, it didn't give the movie what it needed. I am reminded of 'Henry and June' and the authenticity I felt while watching that picture and I guess that was the same kind of thing I was hoping for here. Needless to say, it didn't happen.
Not a total loss. If you know nothing of Kahlo and you're not likely to pick a book up and bother reading it, then this movie is definitely worth seeing, just to know about this incredible artist and her existence. But if you're a Kahlo junkie, stay away, this movie misses the mark by too far.
Metroland (1997)
Why? Why? And Why?
Okay, you can tell me I'm crazy but I completely wonder why the hell this movie was made. I gave it an okay rating, but only because I hate butchering films. The cinematography was less than good, the story was weak and lacked and real twist or meat to it and the characters were so bland that there really wasn't much to invest in. I mean, I found this difficult to bother to sit through on television while sick with a cold and dying just to chill to the TV. To me, that's a pretty bad sign. I love Emily Watson, so I stuck it through to the end, but even my enthusiasm for her as an actress was not enough to make a difference in the taste this movie left in my mouth, which I can only describe as blander than any food I've ever tasted, even when I was a baby on Gerber.
My advice to others that wish to take any... Do not bother wasting your time. Life is too short and if you're going to watch a movie about other people's lives, it should at least be as interesting as your own.
The Nanny (1965)
Childhood memory disappoints me
I saw this film the other night on television and was terribly disappointed with it. I first saw it when I was 6 or 7 years old and remember it as absolutely gripping and terrifying. After watching it again as an adult, I think my remembrance of it as such a gripping film was largely due to being a small child watching the ever ominous Nanny who might or might not be up to very sinister things. I wish I could say that I still see it as well done but I found it stiff, slightly campy (on Ms. Davis' part)and most of all, that the screenplay lacked the necessary twists and turns to really classify it as a stand up suspense film.
For anyone drawn to black and white british films of this era I would suggest skipping The Nanny entirely and watching Seance of a Wet Afternoon instead.