Change Your Image
blrab-1
Reviews
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Tremendous movie, acting and the score, But. .
I would give this picture a "9" if it weren't for the execrable balance of the sound mix. The music is excellent (why not), well recorded. The singers are excellent (even though new at the art), BUT the final audio mix has the singers fighting with the score. Many times their words are drowned by the music, even though the reverse so be the case.
I wanted to HEAR Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett in their duets, but often that was not the case. For that matter, the production dialog was lost here and there.
Other than that, here is a case where the use of computer graphics is more than justified. We see the play in late 19th century London, and it looked very real. An excellent picture in spite of the audio.
Night at the Museum (2006)
A Great Picture!
The picture starts slowly - where are we going with this? - to fast and funny action. The plot is simple, but neat fantasy. Also a quiet message, and a semi-buried slam at the current president. "Fool me once. . ."
No blood, no shooting, nobody dies on screen, no nudity, just comedy. Even Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, and Bill Cobbs. A great blend of real people in a real museum together with astounding computer graphics. Nothing looks pasted on.
Recommended for the entire family, who might also learn a little bit of history. No dull actors in this picture.
Inherit the Wind (1960)
And the debate still rages
Even though Fredric March as Brady is somewhat over the top, nevertheless this is an great picture. Unfortunately, in 2006, the debate hasn't changed that much since 1925, even though the sciences supporting Evolution have become more sophisticated.
One gets the feeling that Spencer Tracy really believed in Evolution (will we ever know?), but his performance is stellar, as is the entirety of the cast. The quiet Harry Morgan plays an impressive judge.
This picture should remain for years to come, just to remind us of the importance of education, and making issues known. The picture is B&W, which doesn't detract from its validity, and the music and singing are supportive, not intrusive.
Timeline (2003)
Not bad at all!
Considering that Michael Crichton's novel is 444 pages, and is almost a treatise on medieval France, it seems the movie distilled the adventure portion quite well. Crichton's novel also has a four page bibliography. (When's the last time you found a bibliography as part of a novel?) Granted, the actors weren't of the caliber of Anthony Hopkins nor Ben Kingsley, but they worked very hard.
The battle scenes were impressive, indeed. The screenplay might have provided more exposition as to their reasons for going back, as the adventures of our travelers left me wanting more.
If you see the movie first, then read the novel; it's a tremendous eye-opener. If you read the novel first, then you'll understand what the screen-writers had to do.
Syriana (2005)
Complex, and fascinating
It takes awhile before order is understood in the midst of chaos. Just like real life! On our DVD, the audio was execrable. Low levels vs. high levels for explosions. Almost all of the dialog spoken by Julie Woodman (played by Amanda Peet) was near to unintelligible. ADR should have been used.
For me, the movie was partially spoiled by the poor audio. If the audio had been up to snuff, I would have posted an 8 (eight).
Even though no political parties were mentioned nor discussed, the FBI and the CIA did take a beating.
What's the difference between oil and money? Not much at all.
Meet the Fockers (2004)
PG-13? Really?
Granted that a 13 year old young adult is considerably more knowledgeable than 10 years ago, the rating is rather loose.
The filmmakers should have watched their first cut, then redid the first third of the picture. Not until then does the picture become somewhat believable. In the end, it's a touching story about trust, friendship, and what's important in a marriage.
I almost stopped the picture, then my wife told me it got better. It did. It appears that the picture still suffers from overwork. The production company, the producers, the screenwriters, the director, the actors; all got in the act.
Watch it with reservations.
The Pelican Brief (1993)
A great picture!
A minimum of violence, a minimum of special effects, a maximum of good acting. Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts play very well together. The suspense is tangible, but low-key, which makes it all the more suspenseful. One of Grisham's better stories, it shows his unhappiness with lawyers. I got the feeling from Julia Roberts that she was not acting, but that she was really involved with the Pelican Brief. It's not an action movie, but a potent movie. In light of today's politics, it is rather noteworthy. The photography is excellent, which contributes to the picture. It's a shame that Alan Pakula isn't around to do more pictures.
Déjà Vu (1997)
Worth watching!
Dana, played by Victoria Foyt, is a woman not in control of her life. You get the feeling she is bumbling about, directed by friends around her. Not until the very end does she realize she can be in control of her life. A believable story, showing how apparently small events change the course of our lives.
Excellent dialogue, you feel as though you're eavesdropping on the conversations, rather than hearing words from a screenplay. Excellent photography. Victoria Foyt and her husband, Henry Jaglom, wrote the screenplay. He also directed the picture.
Good music, including some good old popular songs.
Mindwalk (1990)
Better than entertainment
Not entertainment in the usual sense, but three individuals discuss the world in erudite and thought-provoking ways. But if you're looking for mindless entertainment, this isn't the picture. If you're looking for understanding of our world, this is a good place to start. The scenery isn't bad, either. The three actors are very good, indeed. Liv Ullman is a physicist on sabbatical, Sam Waterston lost his primary bid for the Presidency, and John Heard is a poet.
The day-long conversation is an ebb and flow between the three of them, touching on politics, physics, and poetry. The author, Capra, sounds as if he is liberal. He's not happy with our society. (Who is?)
Don't watch this if you're tired (you may fall asleep), or don't want to think.