This is the sort of movie the majority hates because it makes you think, which a lot of people hate to do. It makes you confront mortality, which we all must do one day, and decide how you are going to live the days you have left. In a way, it's a horror movie because the thought of dying is the scariest thing to confront, but Depp plays it real and heartfelt. He embraces life and is not crying about his plight. It's a brave movie and he takes it and owns it. This is not a sob story, it's an adult movie for those who think and feel. Not morose, it's full of life, and sad only when he realizes the sands of time are draining away.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Poolhall Junkies
(2002)
A Scratch
20 November 2022
Oh this is soooo bad it hurts. This is a home movie that Mars Callahan (who?) somehow managed to engage some top name actors to appear. It has all the earmarks of a bad film: exposition serving as dialog, stilted acting, no subtext, so real drama, bad acting, boring and nothing cinematography, a confusing plot, awful soap opera quality actors... I dunno who Mars Callahan is, but he must have had connects, too bad he didn't spend more time writing a realistic script. I didn't believe one minute of the "drama" and its only redeeming factor were the pool scenes. A hard pass. Behind the eight ball.
M*A*S*H
(1970)
FUNNY, BUT WITH NO SUBSTANCE
19 November 2022
MASH is a farce, almost all played for laughs, but it has no real substance behind the jokes. It's a collection of vignettes weaved together to mimic a movie, which is fine for what it is but vanishes from the mind almost immediately after viewing. Back in the day, it vied for "the contemporary counter-culture film about war" with Catch-22. At the time, MASH won the battle, but subsequent viewings show Catch-22 to be the superior film. There is humor in both, but only Catch-22 backs up the jokes with a social commentary on war that is as true today as when the book was written and the film made. Neither are without their faults, but IMHO Catch-22 is the real anti-war movie.
Going in Style
(1979)
Touching and Good Fun, But...
10 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Don't get me wrong, I really like this film but it does leave a major thread or two hanging and, when you think about it, Joe is sort of a dick. First off, because Joe (Burns) is bored he enlists Willie (Strassburg) and Al (Carney) into robbing a bank, sort of arm-twisting Willie to go along.
SPOILER:
Willie dies from the stress and excitement. Then Al dies from the exhaustion of Vegas, Joe dismissing the idea of staying in Vegas (could be at another hotel) out of paranoia, causing Al's death. Sort of a dick move.
Now, they used Pete's guns to pull the job, so he's automatically going to be considered an accomplice by the cops. Joe makes Pete take all the cash, and no doubt since the cops know that Joe/Al/Willie did it, they will look into Pete, and get a warrant to open his safety deposit box and find all the cash. Even if Pete moved it, he will still be watched for a while, so he can't spend it without raising suspicion (the bank bills may also be marked). Joe and Al (who "borrowed" the guns) basically, by accident, set Pete up to be the fall guy. Another dick move.
SPOILER:
Willie dies from the stress and excitement. Then Al dies from the exhaustion of Vegas, Joe dismissing the idea of staying in Vegas (could be at another hotel) out of paranoia, causing Al's death. Sort of a dick move.
Now, they used Pete's guns to pull the job, so he's automatically going to be considered an accomplice by the cops. Joe makes Pete take all the cash, and no doubt since the cops know that Joe/Al/Willie did it, they will look into Pete, and get a warrant to open his safety deposit box and find all the cash. Even if Pete moved it, he will still be watched for a while, so he can't spend it without raising suspicion (the bank bills may also be marked). Joe and Al (who "borrowed" the guns) basically, by accident, set Pete up to be the fall guy. Another dick move.
The Irishman
(2019)
Don't listen to the haters
5 February 2020
Is it Casino? No. Is it GoodFellas? No. It's better. These mooks here hating on this because of what it is not are missing the point of what it is: a character study of aging gangsters. Pesci is brilliant, De Niro powerful. Pacino, well, Pacino. The ADD jambos here wouldn't know good cinema if it crawled up their legs. Go. See what it is, not what it is not.
My Erotic Body
(2016)
A Journey into Self-discovery vis Pole Dancing
26 March 2018
My Erotic Body is a fascinating study in what happens when a group of strangers, all women, come together to explore and experience what it means to discover their "inner goddess"--all through the art of pole dancing--and come out as close friends. Part how-to, part hero's journey, part erotica, filmmaker (and somewhat reluctant participant) Michele Beck takes the viewer inside the minds and motives of each dancer, with behind-the-curtain glimpses into what is involved in creating their erotic art. While at times titillating, this is not a lascivious peep-show, it is a heartfelt, and emotionally gripping tale of ordinary women, from all walks of life, taking control of their innate sexuality through movement, music, and friendship. At times wryly funny, at others inexplicably moving, My Erotic Journey is a celebration of personal growth, mutual trust, and female sensuality.
How I Won the War
(1967)
Forgotten Gem
8 May 2005
Although (unfairly) ravaged by critics at the time and so generally dismissed ever since, HOW I WON THE WAR is both a brilliant anti-war film and anti war film film (much more so than the usually heralded M*A*S*H). Filled with biting satire and brilliant performances from Michael Crawford, John Lennon, Roy Kinnear, Ronald Lacey, Michael Hordern and, well, the entire cast, HIWTW was perhaps a bit too odd for 1967 audiences who expected perhaps a more madcap adventure, but today it deserves not only a rethink - but a reissue on DVD. (Why this wonderful movie is not available on DVD (at least in the US) is yet another slap in its face.) Richard Lester and writer Charles Wood (who also wrote HELP! for the Beatles) have crafted a brilliant black comedy that easily stands with Dr Strangelove. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, granted, but if you forget your preconceptions and let it wash over you, you will be richly rewarded. RELEASE IT ON DVD!
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