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Reviews
Johnny Come Lately (1943)
Would Like To See It (Again) For The 1st Time.
It's rare in the movie industry, especially since Hollywood became so..., well...., so Hollywood (circa '75). But, once in a great while, we are treated to a very special film, one that, connects w the human-spirit, in such an enduring & profound way that seemingly, the best way to try & communicate it's wonderful 'specialness', is to somehow wish it possible, to watch all over again (for the very first time).
Enjoy!
Knight and Day (2010)
Is There Rehab, For Director's That Abuse CGI?
Guessing this movie was actually filmed in Switzerland, because their are more plot, continuity & realism holes in the first 40-minutes that, it just seems to make common-sense that, such a film be shot in a country, already famous, for making a product w so many holes.
Seriously, this is a significant piece of entertainment value, but necessities a disclaimer: As long as 'the' serious-minded movie goer, can be disciplined enough, to leave their critical-thinking-hat (back in their car), all will be well.
Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz are strong enough actors that, once an audience member is able to brake from reality, acknowledging that, what they are watching is raw action-packed fiction @ it's organic best - then, the flick seems to somehow, genuinely take off... {and no, to their professional credit, Cruise & Diaz nevered called in a single performance...
The Other Man (2008)
Redeeming eVALUEuation
Brilliantly acted which is the only inspiration to rate this film accordingly @ its absolute peak (e.g. 4/10).
Exactly what is this film's 'redeeming value'? Perhaps it is the husband's organic, all consuming hatred that, is ultimately & suddenly, diluted w a new found understanding and/or respect, of a beloved spouse possessed w an altruistic love for two men?
Or perhaps on some subliminal level, existed an effort, to desensitize those in monogamous relationships, once exposed to the cancer of infidelity - {yet that wouldn't be redeeming - right?}.
Admittedly, this film may have taken most audiences' in a complete separate emotional direction than was intended, had Liam Neeson not been cast as lead. However, because Neeson was cast accordingly, most fans & viewers (by default), attach a certain persona to his on screen character(s), {a quasi-typecasting}.
So, from the film's very initial scene & peppered throughout its majority footage, a lot of audience members (again, by default), begin the process of emotionally assigning certain themes/genre to Neeson {e.g. Thriller and/or Action-Adventure, Twist, etc}.
[Granted, it is possible that the director overtly understood these dynamics & characteristics surrounding Neeson, yet selected him for the very reason, to purposefully catch audiences off guard, having inserted an abrupt 'gotcha moment' character, yet omitting any actual 'gotcha moment' moments in the movie's final epilogue]?
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
80 Minutes Lost to Eternity
In full disclosure, watching this film was a collective father/son decision, {w a 27 year-old @ one end of the spectrum & a 55 year-old @ the other end}. And admittedly, both of us have an extremely wide-range for movie genre appreciation, yet both of us felt eerily similar when the first closing credit flashed onto the screen, (well there's an 80 minute investment in life, never to return a single dividend).
In all candor, there is overwhelmingly more continuity in this movie's 2-minute trailer, and the movie's one-paragraph synopsis that's drafted by an IMDb staffer (above), provides a macrocosm for understanding both character & plot development, more so than any movie goer could possible gleam by attempting to watch this movie (regardless their level of 'art' sophistication/appreciation)...
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Only Watch on Empty Stomach
Don't allow yourself to be fooled by how exceptional a job this film does in slow-playing the viewer, as it is reminiscent for pilots, of an almost uneventful 100 minute flight that, ends up hobbling it's way through the final 33-minutes, of some of the worse unknown turbulence & thunderstorms ever survived aerodynamically. [And, casting Kurt Russel as the quintessential, badass lawman, only helps aid & abet the audience in dozing off]
Sniper Special Ops (2016)
Brand Management Rule #1, Sometimes Its Best to do Nothing...
Netflix subscribers often overlook one of the best perks for having subscribed to their monthly movie streaming library that being, the ability to access & screen prospective movies of interest without being charged a (per movie) fee, and for men w the remote-control in hand, fast- forward boring sections or toggle over to another flick altogether
Btw, the IMDb database denotes that Sniper: Special Ops is 1.24 hours long, which then means that, during our viewing experience, we fast-forwarded no less than a solid 45 minutes of this movie, {due to elongated scenes, dysfunctional editing, rushed takes, inept continuity, spotty acting... And, all-the-while, movie investors/promoters overtly mislead Seagal fans & prospective movie goers that Steven Seagal has a major on screen-role, when in actuality, Seagal's role is considered to be less on screen time than most cameo roles
What is frustratingly sad is the realization that this, 'straight to DVD' movie did not have be be 'called in' from the cheap seats, just to get a 'Seagal Product' in the pipeline. Case-in-point, 6 very short months later, after the release of Sniper: Special Ops, Seagal's team released, 'Contract To Kill' in December (same year) & it was exceptionally well done, containing much of the same intrinsic magic that gave early Segal moves that 'it' factor'.
Don't waste a minute watching Sniper: Special Ops, its 84 minutes that you'll never get back.
Revenge (2011)
An Amalgamation Par Excellence
Seemingly, ABC allowed those that collaborated on the hit TV series 'Revenge', to do so by simply getting out of the way and allowing a group of very talented writers, actors, editors, directors and everything in-between.
Heck, even Helen Hunt directed a couple of episodes (yes, that Helen Hunt).
And, as likable (and/or) distasteful, as each actor commits to their individual roll (wholeheartedly), the writing for Revenge conjures up the age old question of what came first here, the chicken or the egg?
This was a TV show that my wife and daughter began watching months ago on Netflix & it held very little interest or intrigue personally, but we all ended up pleasantly surprised.