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Reviews
Monday Morning (2012)
Hutzpah and art
I heard that passages in Monday Morning turned off some viewers. That some passages were seemingly were off-putting. By themselves, they may be.
When I watched the movie, those same passages came and went, but I was so absorbed in the film that they seemed natural. Monday Morning has the hutzpah to portray the worst part of the homeless situation as it is. Writer-director-producer, Nat Christian, with obvious passion and heart, lays this scenario down right in front of us very effectively.
The story revolves around Thomas Bach, played with intelligence and deliberate restraint by Victor Browne, who is a radio personality in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bach is summoned to run for the U.S. senate. However, while he visits Los Angeles, CA, his world is rocked and he loses his memory, causing him to wander around the city. He meets up with several characters who will ultimately change how he used to view people on the streets.
Christian serves up a plate of great dialogue, relationships and some humor. Browne leads a cast of excellent and seasoned actors. I definitely recommend!
Mirror Mirror (2012)
Sincere and visual
Five writers - Jason Keller (screenplay), Melisa Wallack (screenplay), Melisa Wallack (story), Jacob Grimm (original story), Wilhelm Grimm (original story), and a director, Tarsem Singh, bring back the fable of Snow White.
Given the story's history, making a good movie about this is hard to pull off. So, for me, Mirror, Mirror delivered mixed results. No doubt that the movie is great to look at. Visually, it sparks. So to are the actors' performances. The cast does a very good job.
It is in the story that I feel weighed the movie down. It feels heavy and therefore, too long. The movie tries very hard to be sincere with the original story line. But in its attempt to do that, I feel that it probably tied the very creative hands that could have made this film pop. it does have a certain off-beat flavor that is comes across appealing at times.
Being There (1979)
Love the original concept.
Fantastic! This movie, written by Jerzy Kosinski and directed by legendary director, Hal Ashby, rocked me.
A mentally challenged gardener is taken in by an ailing businessman and his wife. His manner of speaking is taken only from television shows, and then they are taken as being substantive, then he starts to have an influence n people and on the White House.
Peter Sellers is a master at what he does. He acts with an understated simplicity in most of his roles, yet the audience follows his moves. Shirley MacLaine is very funny, and there is a scene, which I can't discuss that steals the whole movie.
Jack Warden and Melvyn Douglas are terrific.
Ashby directs almost like he is choreographing a light musical jazz dance. I never felt that any of the comedy was forced on me. And he was able to extract some really good performances out of the actors. Thus, bringing in some very vulnerable and poignant moments.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Taut, Tight and Thrilling
Jodie Foster shines in this movie about a young FBI agent who, although is being used by her own department to extract information from a brilliant serial killer who is in jailed, manages to find the killer in a recent string of murders.
Foster has been an honest actress from her very first appearance in Taxi Driver. Some have criticized her for being stiff in that movie, but I always saw it as pure honesty. She proved herself over and over again with many roles where 'truth" was the operative word. In Silence Of The Lambs, Foster's nuances in her acting are phenomenal.
Anthony Hopkins, the consummate actor, again displays great restraint in his depiction of the jailed serial killer. He is menacing in his calm demeanor. Great to watch.
Jonathan Demme again proves that he should be more appreciated in Hollywood. Hs direction is perfect and his tempo is just right as he thrills us with each twist and turn.
The excellent screenplay by Ted Tally based on the novel by Thomas Harris is tight and real. Tally not only writes great scenes, like the first meeting between Foster and Hopkins, but great dialog as well.
The Wrestler (2008)
Good movie, great return of an actor
I watched The Wrestler with great anticipation, not knowing what to expect from Mickey Rourke. I've always liked Darren Aronofsky's work, from the beginning of his career, but I still wasn't sure.
Well, I thought that Darren Aronofsky did a great directing job.
But, really, I think we all watched this to see the return or come back of Mickey Rourke.
Rourke was really very good in this role. Whatever happened to his carer, I feel, made him a much better actor for it. I hope he gets a lot of recognition for this and continues to act. He is an actor worth watching.
Marisa Tomei has always been one of my favorites. A real darling. She is excellent in this movie.
So is Evan Rachel Wood, really fine actress.
I would recommend this one