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As a filmmaker and passionate fan of basketball, Spike Lee was the perfect director for this ambitious and heartfelt sports drama, which brought out the best in both Lee and his well-chosen cast. In his third film for Lee, Denzel Washington plays Jake Shuttlesworth, who is in prison for the manslaughter of his wife. His estranged son Jesus (well played by Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Ray Allen) is the nation's best high school basketball star, and Jake receives a compelling offer from the state's governor: If Jake can convince Jesus to sign a letter of intent to attend Big State University, the governor will reduce his sentence. Lee turns this back-room bargain into a fascinating examination of capitalism in college and professional sports, but the film also works as the moving story of a father's desperate attempt to regain his son's respect. Lee handles the basketball angle with an insider's awareness, and takes a few stylistic risks (including a memorable final image) that pay off with considerable emotional effect. He Got Game fully explores the visual poetry of basketball and the greed that fuels this particular vision of the American dream, but Lee never loses sight of the sport's inherent beauty, or the higher priorities of redemption and family that form the solid foundation of this exceptional film. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (59)

This movie has game
I must say that Spike Lee did a great job in making this movie. Jake (Denzel Washington) plays a prisoner who is in jail for murdering his wife years ago. He is given a chance to get out of prison if he does one thing. He has to convince his son, Jesus (Ray Allen) to attend a certain college. If he does that, Jake is a free man. Of course, it won't be easy because Jesus has to first forgive his dad for what he did to his mom before he can even think of going to a certain university in his dad's favor.

Denzel Washington and Ray Allen both put on great performances to make this a great movie. The basketball sequences in the movie are exciting, but the drama in "He Got Game" is what makes the movie work so well. I recommend anybody to get "He Got Game."

Compelling Story - Senseless Spike Lee Views....
Once again, rather then Spike Lee making trully great movie that will appeal to everyone; Lee injects his political/social views into what could have been a great movie. Good performances by D. Washington and rookie actor NBA star Ray Allen carry this movie. I thought the story had incredible promise, but Spike Lee once again has to inject his personal agenda while turning off 80% of the people who would go see this film.

First, every women featured in this film is white/latin and a whore/slut. An unusual combination considering this film is about about black inner city basketball. Not one black female shows up this film with any of kind of speaking role or substance.

The story turns into the absurd about half way through and stops making sense. Also, Rick Fox is well, Rick Fox. Nuff said. Listening to him try to sound street/from the hood is very laughable. I imagined he listed to some NWA records to prep for this role.

The most compelling part of the movie is the climax, D Washington playing R Allen in a classic Father/son one on one battle. This scene saves the movie.

Ray Allen who has the lead:great b-ball-player but bad actor
This movie probably could've been at least a little good if SPIKE LEE hadn't casted the NBA-player RAY ALLEN, he joins Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O'Neal & Rick Fox (who also is in the movie) in the list of BASKETBALL-PLAYERS who makes movies but can't act.

Denzel does good work in the film YES but it takes more to make a good movie than one or two people in it who knows how to act (Hill Harper is the second one).

Not a very moving story mainly becouse RAY ALLEN's and MILLA JOVOVIC's horrible acting.

If you thought that rappers were bad actors, they are nothing against b-ball players.

Any SPIKE LEE-movie is better than this one so skip it.

Denzel and Allen Great...
Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) is the top high school prospect in the country. His father, Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) is in jail for accidently killing his wife. THe govenor has promised Jake that if he can convince his son to play for his alma mater that he will cut his prison time signifigantly. Jesus has never forgiven his father and has hatred toward him. There is tons of symbolism in this movie. Ray Allen had a great debut, especially for a basketball player! He really did a great job, and Denzel also gave a great performance as usual. Go see this movie it is very moving and is my personal favorite of all time.

Best from Spike Lee ever!
To me, this movie was and still my all-time favorite movie dealing with Basketball.The Plot was superb. Denzel acting chops were on point in this or any movie he has been in. Ray Allen was amazing in acting debut.I give it two thumb or ten toes up!!!
Go cop that DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (48)

One Good Cop
When I bought my first DVD player a number of years ago, Cop Land was one of the films that, I thought about buying right off the bat. I was disappointed though, to discover there were no bonus features on the disc, and I didn't get it. Back then, my rule was simple: no bonus material-no purchase. After a long wait, a special edition for the film, is finally here.

Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) is the sheriff of a place everyone calls "Cop Land"-a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big-city police officers he's always admired. Yet something ugly is taking place below the surface. The sheriff is shocked when he uncovers a large and deadly conspiracy among these local residents. He doesn't know who to trust. Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta) and Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel) try to persuade Heflin that he is wrong. Soon though, he is forced to take action and make the difficult choice between protecting his own and enforcing the law, as Lt. Tilden (Robert De Niro), an Internal Affairs officer, arrives to begin an investigation of his own.

Writer/director James Mangold assembled a top notch cast that can't be beat. Stallone rises to the challenge and gives his best performance since the original Rocky flick--no really, it's that good. The drama and situations are very real. No over the top, super hero heroics are to be had. It's gritty reality is heightened for me even more, due to Mangold's use of many familiar North Jersey locales, as the story's backdrop.

The DVD showcases a 116-minute "Director's Cut" of film. In this cut, 11 minutes of footage is reinserted, not part of the original theatrical version. For the most part, these scenes are rich in character bits and advance the plot only slightly. Still, the 11 minutes are worthwhile. The audio commentary track from Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad, cast members Stallone and Robert Patrick is a solid one, filled with great insight on how the film came together. Aside from the 11 minutes of inserted scenes, there are a few additional deleted scenes complete with opitional commentary from Mangold, about the editing choices he made. The film's climatic shootout and its corresponding storyboards are detailed for viewers. Pretty cool. Rounding out the bonus material is a featurette called "The Making of an Urban Western" All I'll say is the commentary is better.

The special edition of Cop Land is recommended. And it's worth a re-purchase if you already own the movie only disc. ****1/2 stars.

A memorable movie with an even more memorable cast !
The movie Cop Land combines long lost talent in its leading star, Sylvester Stallone; top notch performances from its supporting cast, Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro, Harvey Keitel, and Annabella Sciorra; wonderful cinematography by Eric Edwards; and brilliant direction of James Mangold who later went on to direct such hits as Kate And Leopold, Identity, and Girl Interrupted.

Cop Land is a fictional tale of crime and corruption in a city run and occupied by New York's unfinest cops. Stallone pulls it off excellently as the city's overweight sherrif, Freddie Heflin, who couldn't get into to the force on account of his deaf ear. When the police force covers up a cop shooting that leaves two innocent men dead and stages a hero story, its up to Sherrif Heflin to reveal the truth and bring order to the city known to everybody as Cop Land.

The movie features an outstanding performance by Robert Deniro as an FBI agent trying to uncover the deceptions and opens Heflin's eyes to the corruption around him.

A memorable film with an even more memorable ensemble cast.

Underrated
Great little movie. Amazing cast, great performances. Nicely underplayed. Will be curiuos to see the directors cut with 11 extra minutes added.

A solid cop thriller in the tradition of Sidney Lumet
Cop Land is a homage to police corruption films like Sidney Lumet's Serpico and Prince of the City. In many respects, Cop Land is also a modern western, complete with a High Noon-style showdown. Miramax previously released this film on a movie-only DVD. This new version is a huge improvement but is it worth the upgrade?

Definitely.

"Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western" is an excellent retrospective featurette. Stallone to be interested in the role but the actor wanted to something different, to go back to his starving actor roots. After him, came De Niro and then everyone else followed.

Next, there is a "Storyboard Comparison" that allows one to watch part of the film's climatic shoot-out simultaneously with the storyboards for it.

There are two deleted scenes with optional commentary.

Rounding out the extras is a solid audio commentary with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad and actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert Patrick. Not surprisingly, Mangold and Stallone dominate this track. Stallone comes across as a very humble and gracious guy. Mangold keeps everyone talking, acting as an informal moderator and asking everyone questions. This is a really good track and definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of this movie.

Cop Land features a killer cast and allows them to flex their acting chops with a top-notch screenplay. This DVD is a definite improvement over the previous bare bones edition and is worth the upgrade. Miramax has finally done this film justice with an excellent special edition.

SLY IS THE BEST!!!!
I AM A HUGE SLY FAN EVER SINCE I WAS A KID, ANY FILM SLY MAKES I MUST SEE WEATHER IT BE SPY KIDS 3 OR THE NEW MOVIE "SHADE" I HAVE TO SEE IT IF SLY IS IN IT. COPLAND IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE AND WHAT IT DID WAS INTREST ME TO BE A DEPUTY SHERIFF MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. SLY ONCE AGAIN DOES A GREAT JOB AS THE DOWN TO EARTH SHERIFF WHO JUST WANTS A LITTLE MORE CREDIT FOR HIS JOB. APART FROM THE GREAT SLY WE HAVE THE GREAT HARVEY KEITEL, RAY LIOTTA AND OF COURSE ONE OF MY TOP 5 FAV ACTORS ALONE WITH SLY WHO IS NUMBER 3 ROBERT DI NERO. THIS IS A GREAT FILM FOR COP LOVERS I THINK ITS ONE OF THE BEST AND REALISTIC FILMS ABOUT BEING A SO CALLED "COP" AND BEING A "SHERIFF". I WOULD RATHER BE A SHERIFF AND WEATHER MOE TILDEN LIKES IT OR NOT FREDDY HEFLIN IS A COP. ... Read more

Amazon.com

At times brilliant and insightful, at times repellent and false, Happiness is director Todd Solondz's multistory tale of sex, perversion, and loneliness.Plumbing depths of Crumb-like angst and rejection, Solondz won the Cannes International Critics Prize in 1998 and the film was a staple of nearly every critic's Top Ten list.Admirable, shocking, and hilarious for its sarcastic yet strangely empathetic look at consenting adults' confusion between lust and love, the film stares unflinchingly until the audience blinks.But it doesn't stop there. A word of strong caution to parents:One of the main characters, a suburban super dad (played by Dylan Baker), is really a predatory pedophile and there is more than an attempt to paint him as a sympathetic character.Children are used in this film as running gags or, worse, the means to an end. Whether that end is a humorous scene for Solondz or sexual gratification for the rapist becomes largely irrelevant.Happiness is an intelligent, sad film, revelatory and exact at moments.It's also abuse in the guise of art. That's nothing to celebrate. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (224)

I'm living in a state of irony.
Having seen 'Storytelling', I had a fairly good idea of what I was getting myself into when I picked this movie up. It deals with adult subject matter, for sure, but it manages to present the inherent, subtle humor of strange, bizzare, or grotesque situations. One scene that sticks out in my mind is when Philip Seymour Hoffman's character is in a diner with the character played by Camryn Manheim and she just finished telling him about her being assaulted and the particularly gruesome way she dealt with the assault, and he replied, "Well, we all have our plusses and minuses." I laughed until my sides hurt. You really have to see the scene and all it's nuances to fully appreciate it. And there are a lot of scenes like this throughout the movie. This is definately a squeamish and unsettling type of movie with some pretty difficult subject matter. Given that, I wouldn't recommend this movie to just anyone. Seek it out if you must, but be warned, it's not a happy story. As far as one reviewers' statement that the scenes were presented for there shock value only, I didn't really see it that way. I saw a peeling away of the appearance that is presented by people to show the sorid underbelly of life, like turning over a big rock to see what kind of creepy crawlies are hiding underneath. That's not to say that the people in this movie are representative of people in general, but I think we all have little secrets about ourselves, our 'rocks', that we wouldn't want the rest of the world to know. I can understand why some people would be turned off by a movie like this, as I think a lot of people go to see movies to escape from this kind of material. Also, I think Dylan Baker did an excellent job in portraying his character. He played a character who seemed to have the idyllic life, a beautiful wife, a large home in the suburbs, three children, and good career...and pedoephillic tendancies towards young boys. He was so creepy, taking advantage of oppourtunities presented to him, regardless of the consequences. I didn't feel sorry for his character, but I did feel like he was a creature trapped by his own demons, acting on his primal urges. He was what he was, and that wasn't going to change. I don't understand the urges he felt, but the characterization of the monster he became was certainly interesting to watch. I enjoyed this movie, and I am looking forward to seeing 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'.

Cookieman108

KEEP THE KIDS AWAY!
Man, this is difficult, difficult movie!! It's packed full of thoroughly unlikeable characters. And they do some awfully uncomfortable things.

The actors are all outstanding. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a loser (what a stretch!!) who starts making obscene phone calls to his next door neighbor (Lara Flynn Boyle), who enjoys them. What happens when they meet? That's just one sample of the kind of interactions you might see in this movie. It plays a little like MAGNOLIA, but without much of the hopeful tone that movie ends with.

But the source of all the controversy in this movie is the character played by the brave, brilliant Dylan Baker. He plays a totally milquetoast, average, middle-class father. Yet his character is also a child-molester. I wouldn't say his character is presented sympathetically, but he isn't always shown as just a monster either. There's one scene, wherein his son has just discovered his beloved father's secret and questions him in detail about his twisted desires. The scene is hands-down the most uncomfortable thing I've ever watched. I was literally squirming...it is so shocking, so obscene and so terribly, terribly sad. In two minutes, we see how several lives are shattered forever.

Baker's performance should have been nominated for an Oscar, but this would have required too much bravery on the part of the selection commmittee.

Do I recommend the film? Well, if you aren't afraid to have your limits tested, absolutely. It has a lot to say, not just about child molestation. It's well-acted and written, and has many very funny moments too (one character to another: "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." to which the response is: "I'm not laughing." It's from the creator of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, so you know it's going to be unconventional. But it is exciting filmmaking. ABSOLUTELY KEEP THE KIDS AWAY FROM IT!

This film is NOT honest.
"If you can't handle the realism, it's your problem; this movie isn't afraid to be honest; blah blah blah." On the contrary, Solondz goes to ludicrous extremes of contrivance to convince us that the world is horrible, people are monsters, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Every single character in this film is depressed, insane, a pervert, or a liar, and every character is unhappy. That's neither realistic nor, in my opinion, "honest" on any deeper level. Solondz does his utmost to deny the existence of any chance for redemption. The worldview this movie conveys seems to be that of a deeply troubled person desperately trying to tell us that everyone else is as miserable as he is. I'm not saying some of the things he depicts don't happen in the real world (albeit in less contrived ways). But to focus on them, to the exclusion of anything else, to make a point about the impossibility of obtaining happiness, seems dishonest, manipulative, and downright irresponsible.

I really wanted to like this movie. It was well made and well acted. I even gave it the chance to sink in, since many of my favorite movies become my favorites only after a while of thinking about them. But the more I think about this one, the angrier I get. Why would anyone want to use art in this way?

Tasteless, valueless, shock-fare garbage.
This movie has nothing to offer but shock, and I mean nothing. The acting is decent, but other than that there is no point to this film other than to expose the viewer to the darkest elements of the human psyche for shock value.

The characters are a woman who fantasizes about being raped, a man who drugs and rapes 11-year-old boys, another man who makes obscene phone calls to women while masturbating, an overweight woman who kills the man who raped her and dismembers his body, a Russian immigrant who takes advantage of vulnerable women, an oversensitive, mousy waif who cries at the drop of a hat, a senior couple who separate and try to date other people, and an 11-year-old boy who's obsessed with having his first orgasm. At the end of the movie you will probably either hate or at least dislike ALL of the characters.

Not only are the characters despicable, but this movie is BORING and POINTLESS. The very last scene where this 11-year old kid masturbates on a balcony while spying on a sunbathing neighbor then marches into the dining room and announces to his entire extended family that he "came" is a perfect example of the kind of pointless shock-fare garbage that this film is. It has no value whatsoever.

Dont look for any depth, its not there.
Yes, happiness is an offensive, disturbing film-thats not why I dislike it, it's pretty much impossible to offend me.

The reason I hate this movie is because there's NO POINT! It's just shocking and offensive for the sake of being shocking and offensive. People often mistake shocking for thought-provoking. Read all the positive reviews on this site. Not one of them actually describes any relevant themes, any statements about the human condition stated in this movie. The closest you'll find is "this movie shows that...these things really happen." NO KIDDING! A better film (and they are out there) would have delved into WHY these things happen.

This film would have a little more credibility if the dialogue was a little more believable. Humans simply do not interact that way. Also, the over-use of bright colors and happy-family stereotypes is almost insulting. Yea, humans have a dark side underneath. We get it.

To it's credit, the acting is excellent, and there are some very funny scenes. But please, dont mistake this for a challenging, revolutionary film. ... Read more

Reviews (247)

An uneasy mixture of various film styles and genres.
While Meg Ryan has contributed some worthy movies to the "chick flick" genre, KATE AND LEOPOLD falls woefully short of "good movie" status. While not a complete nadir, KATE AND LEOPOLD serves up yet another formulaic movie that offers no real surprises and makes us wonder why Ryan plays a role in a film as uninspiring as this. Not that the acting is bad, because it's not. The real problem is the story itself.

Stuart (Live Scheiber), an inventor and Kate's ex, discovers a time wormhole and travels back to 1876 New York. Leopold (X Men's Hugh Jackman), who invented elevators, chases him from his uncle's house, where he is to announce his bride to be, back through the wormhole into modern day New York. Leopold was to marry into money since his family has run short of funds. The rest of the movie shows Leopold adjusting to the modern world and wooing Kate (Ryan) off her feet. The first half plays like a natural "fish out of water" story. Stuart conviently has an elevator accident, getting him out of the majority of the movie. Also making an appearance, Charlie (Breckin Meyer), Kate's brother, spends a lot of time with Leopold, thinking him another actor. Beware: spoiler ahead. If you know anything about films, it's obvious how this is going to end, so it's not really a spoiler. Kate and Leopold go back to 1876 New York to live happily ever after.

The biggest problems I had with this movie was the uneasy mixture of science fiction and romance. The exact same story could have been told without involving time-travel. An excellent film in its own right, Splash took the "fish out of water" story and succeeded quite admirably. Here, the science fiction is little more than a gimmick to dress up a rather formulaic story. The most depressing thing of all, however, is Ryan has proven you can quite successfully have a "chick flick" while having an excellent supernatural slant (City of Angels).

KATE AND LEOPOLD gives us a rather unrealistic love story. KATE AND LEOPOLD is just an elegant man sweeping a boring woman off her feet. Why Leopold would want Kate, other than she has Meg Ryan's looks, is beyond me. Another problem with the story, however, is Stuart the inventor. He is by far the most interesting character, and I kept wishing to see more of him. Leiv does a wonderful job with the role, and the most interesting sections are the all-too brief scene of him in 1876 New York and again in the psychiatric ward. The best and most captivating scene deals with Leiv explaining to a nurse that he is not crazy. I won't ruin it for you if you do decide to see the film, but his explanation is absolutely wonderful, and is easily the highlight of the film.

However, he is taken out most of the movie because of an elevator accident, which makes no sense. The logic of the movie is since Leopold did not invent the elevator, then all the shafts would be empty. Well, if there were no elevators to begin with, why would there be shafts? This is just sloppy writing. The next time the writers want to do a cross-genre film, I hope they do a much better job than this film.

I give it a low three maybe a high two for a squandered opportunity of making another good cross-genre film like CITY OF ANGELS and involving an unrealistic love story.

I Couldn't be more pleased...
With the string of mostly clean, viewer friendly movies I've been seeing lately! Movies I LOVE, without ANY scenes that I'm embarrassed to watch with my parents. Kate and Leopold is another old-fashioned, clean-cut new classic, joining the other new, family friendly films such as The Majestic, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Episode 2, and Spider-Man!
Kate and Leopold is the story of two lonely people from different times. Leopold (Hugh Jackman) is a young duke from the 19th century, who's family has moved to America and squandered away their fortune. As a result, Leopold is now being forced to choose a wife. The problem is, Leopold is not in love. Kate (Meg Ryan) on the other hand, is a New York City girl who has recently and bitterly broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Stuart, an inventor who has discovered a portal through time. Stuart leaps through his new discovery and unintentionally brings Leopold, his great, great, great (I forget how great exactly) grandfather, back with him to modern day New York City. From here we get a charming fish out of water love story reminiscent of Splash, but maybe a little less bizarre. Just a little. While Stuart is in the hospital recovering from an elevator accident, Leopold charms his way into various people's hearts, and becomes a bit of a role model for Kate's younger brother, Charlie. Eventually, Leopold even manages to charm his way into Kate's battered heart, and, being Meg Ryan, she manages to charm him right back. But while this odd romance is blossoming, Stuart is telling his time portal story to the hospital doctors and nurses, who take it all in with more than a grain of salt. He soon finds himself in a psychiatric ward, desperate to break out and find his way back to his ancestor and the time portal. He fears that if he doesn't send Leopold back to his own time soon, he, himself, will cease to exist!
Kate and Leopold reminds us that a film can be funny, heartwarming, sweet and charming, without a lot of foul language, gratuitous footage, and innuendo. This is simply a charming love story, with endearing characters and a touch of fantasy. There's nothing more to say about it, except that you should pick up a copy today!

I wish I could give a zero
Since this was a Meg Ryan movie I was ready to be bored out of my mind and I wasn't disappointed. Meg plays cute and perky Kate, a street smart New York executive. She has everything going for her except one thing-she has lousy luck in men. This is where it gets interesting and I use that term loosely. Her ex-boyfriend who happens to be living right above her discovers a hole in time that will allow him to go back to nineteenth century and he does just that. Complications arise, however, and a Duke of Albany, from 1876, who is incidentally young, handsome and unmarried, accidentally follows him back through time to present time New York. If that sounds stupid, you've heard nothing yet. He gets in all these incidents because obviously he never seen any of the modern technology which I assume filmmakers wanted to be funny but it wasn't. It was boring as hell. I bet you can guess what happens next. Duke meets Kate, they fall in love because he has nice manners, he goes back in time because balance must be preserved, of course Kate follows him into nineteenth century, they get married and live happily ever after. Oh, I forgot to mention number of boring discussions they have about love and all that. Can someone shoot me, please!.

Science and Romance
Okay, I am not into romances, but my wife is. I put off seeing this because of the dopeyness that I expected. It was better than that, though. Enough science, intrigue and romance to be a good mix. Definitely a good date mix, but even good for a wider audience.

Hugh Jackman really shines in the part...
This was the second movie that Hugh made after he won notice for playing Wolverine in X-MEN, here he puts his stage training to the test and it plays well in this fairly honest and well made movie in which Hugh and Meg Ryan play two people out of time who fall in love and then decite to get married even though the romance is seperated by 150 years. There is a small element of science fiction where time travel is concerened as with STAR TREK IV; THE VOYAGE HOME, it is acknowledged, but taken only a few scenes to explain away and then they go back to doing an honest/romance comedy, which this is. ... Read more

Reviews (165)

Masterful and underrated modern noir
Martin Scorsese's film contribution of 1999 marks one'a his greatest graduations as a filmmmaker in the past decade. 'Bringing Out the Dead' documents three days in the life'a Frank Pierce, a paramedic whose journey into the abyss of human misery keeps him teetering on the brink of insanity. I mean, jus' look at the film's cover, a close-up shot of Frank's eyes, dark and stormy, narrowed in pain, and you already have a feeling of the mood that this film's gonna put forth. He cruises the streets of a gritty and growling early '90s New York City during the hellish after-hours reluctantly taking every call he gets from his dispatcher (Scorsese, in an effectively-droll cameo) and... well... he tries to save lives basically. But all these days, months, an' years'a watching people die and having to deal with the permanence of death up close has all harshly affected his psyche. Every night he must look the Grim Reaper in the face, and it teases and taunts him, a constant reminder of his own mortality. The symbol of his decent into madness is Rose, an 18-year-old homeless girl whose life he failed to save. He possesses so much guilt and regret at his inability to help her that each person he attempts to save each night, is in a way redemption for him, an' an attempt to save his OWN life. But lately he has been unable to save anyone. And the only connection or feeling he can muster up in himself comes in his consoling of a young woman named Mary Burke, played by Patricia Arquette, the daughter of a man Frank tried to save, and who is now in critical condition.

This is, using the term a little loosely, a modern film noir with its sharp-edged shadows and shots, strange angles and lonely urban settings. It is undoubtedly grim material and a very dark film, but you be surprised at how entertaining it is. There are actually moments which are very funny, even if sometimes you ask yourself why you're laughing. The supporting cast here is VERY strong, a slew of underrated and underappreciated actors and actresses (i.e. John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Aida Turturro, among others) all of whom turn in first-rate work, particularly the ridiculously underrated John Goodman and the always-impressive Ving Rhames as a gospel Christian who is Frank's co-pilot on the second night; he uses emergencies as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of Jesus (the scene in the rave-club where they are attempting to save an overdosed gothic kid is close-to-hilarious if you can believe it).

Nicolas Cage, excellent actor that he is, plays the lead with a subtle intensity, his heedless emotional availability allowing him to make transitions from counselor to embittered miserable man, desperate for a peace that seems unreachable. One thing I really admired about this film was the way Scorsese never ASKS for your sympathy regarding this character, he merely puts the truth out there and allows the viewer to decide whether they can find some way to sympathize with him and his torments and problems. The entire film unblinkingly shows you the world in which he lives an' from his own eyes. Like Scorsese's timeless masterpiece 'Taxi Driver', which this film is being UNFAIRLY compared to, everything you see is what the lead character sees and every feeling the movie has is what he's feeling. But, here, the character of Frank Pierce is a much more merciful man and one who, rather than lashing out at the society which causes him this torment, merely wants to escape somehow and leave it all behind. I'm'a end this review by jackin' sumpin' from Roger Ebert: "To look at 'Bringing Out the Dead'--to look, indeed, at almost any Scorsese film--is to be reminded that film can touch us urgently and deeply." The man knows what he's talkin' 'bout.

Disquieting film, forcefully presented
This is a disturbing and realistic character study of Frank Pierce (Nicholas Cage) a burned out paramedic, who is slowly succumbing to the depressing reality of his job and the city he lives in. He is tortured by the futility of his efforts and haunted by self blame about a young woman named Rose whose life he was unable to save. We witness about a week of his life, mostly at work handling medical emergencies. There really isn't much of a plot here. It is mostly a succession of events in the life of an EMT and a psychological study of a man losing his grip under the crushing stress of his vain attempts at saving the dregs of humanity.

Martin Scorsese brings his trademark stark realism to the film, with authentic images of the sleazy underbelly of New York City. As always, his camerawork, lighting, sets and locations were delivered with raw power and great dramatic impact. Having grown up in NYC, I was amazed at his ability to capture so perfectly the essence of the city's street life.

Unfortunately, the story diverged too often into the bizarre antics of some of the surrounding characters like Noel (Marc Anthony), and fellow paramedics like Larry (John Goodman) and Marcus (Ving Rhames). In heavy handed stories like this one, it is often necessary to have some comic relief, but Scorsese takes this concept around the bend far too often.

Nicholas Cage was superb as the self doubting paramedic at the end of his rope. His sense of torment and bipolar mood swings were compelling and potent. Patricia Arquette played a pathetic young woman, the daughter of one of Frank's rescue victims to whom he takes a shine. Makeup did a great job of making her look unbelievably plain and mousy and her portrayal was extremely effective, playing the part with a good deal of angst and despondency.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is a disquieting film that is manic-depressive in its presentation and very downbeat and pessimistic in its general tone. Its greatest assets are Cage's performance, and its realistic presentation of raw emotion and the feel of the New York streets. Its flaw is its meandering flow and its excessive and often bizarre digression from the central character study. If you can appreciate a very dark and gloomy film with forceful and poignant portrayals, it's definitely worth a look.

Can't get enough!
I've watched this movie dozens of times, and it never gets old. I love the music, the camera angles, the way it makes you feel like you're some rag doll being dragged around the city by this crazed EMT. Forget it's got Nicolas Cage and that he did Gone In Sixty Seconds and Con Air; this one will make up for the others, and then some.

So, turn off the mobile phone, put the kids to bed, make some strong coffee and sit down to fully enjoy this piece of fine work.

THIS MOVIE....
....intociates you, i can see why sober minded or un open minded people out there might not appreciatte the intense choice of scenes and the beautiful musical score which sets the scene.....its a piece of art...awesome movie...bravo!!!
IMAGERY + MUSIC + DIALOG + GOOD ACTING=a good movie.

It doesnt have to make sense, use your brain and interpret it for yourselves, and enjoy the ride along the way...dont take it to serious.

A FILM THAT DEFIES GENRE (SADLY, IT ALSO DEFIES A PLOT)
As always with Scorsese "Bringing out the dead" has a shimmering technical finish, an overlay of dark humor, strong supporting performances and a splendid star cast: Cage plays a worn-out NYC paramedic with an appealing world-weariness and intensity. You could nearly suspect that he was himself one of the "Dead".

Yet, the whole movie never really caught my attention as I waited and waited and waited for something to really happen. Despite some interesting vignettes from people's lives in NY, many of which are repeated again and again, the film is never really engaging, possibly because the characters are never especially believable.

The crux of Cage's character's emotional ordeal -- why he became a paramedic, why he stays one, why he feels such smothering personal guilt -- somehow gets lost amid all of Scorsese's camera tricks and Schrader's cheap laughs.

Brilliant production values, boring overall output. ... Read more

Description

Four sons of well-known gangsters come face to face with their own legacy of violence and betrayal when they travel to a small Montana town to collect a large sum of cash. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's important to note that Spike Lee's drama is not titled Son ofSam. Summer of Sam doesn't chronicle the killer as much as the times: the blistering hot summer of 1977 when the Big Apple's psyche was taken hostage by the lone gunman. We spot the killer (Michael Badalucco) in his mad ramblings, but the film centers on two friends from the Bronx: Vinny and Ritchie (John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody). Vinny and his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), bury a bad marriage (he cheats at a drop of a hat) in the disco halls of the area. Ritchie returns to the neighborhood sporting punk hair, punk clothes, and a British accent that immediately infuriates the neighborhood boys oozing far too much testosterone. Cops, local mob leaders, and the guys on the street all have ideas who the killer is; neighborhood loners to Reggie Jackson (in the midst of World Series heroism) are on their misguided lists of suspects. When the film looks at how the citizens faced the fearful times, Lee scores with his energetic camerawork and pop soundtrack. Yet the film is banal in its domestic dramatics. The film takes large detours into Vinny's home sex life (stagnant) and Ritchie's extracurricular activities. One of the marriage arguments--though real and well acted--is so long and cliché-ridden you wonder if someone fell asleep in the editing booth. Add the point-blank killings and nonstop vulgarity and you have Lee's most unpleasant film.--Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Loud, Flashy Excrement
A film designed simply to appall and disgust the audience, SUMMER OF SAM is the only film I've seen in a theatre in recent years which caused a sizable portion of the audience to leave before the film was over. Supposedly a film about emotional hysteria during the Son of Sam killings during the summer of 1977, SUMMER OF SAM is really just Spike Lee's exercise in thoroughly trashing and dehumanizing the Italian-American community.

It really is a sight to behold the utter contempt that Lee has for his characters. They are simply crude stereotypes, seemingly with little or no redeeming qualities, or even humanity. It is on parallel with watching the portrayal of African-Americans in D.W. Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION. The script is awful, and the acting by an excellent cast is uninspired at best. The only sincere performance is that of Adrien Brody. His performance and SUMMER OF SAM's beautiful cinematography are the only virtues to this film crud, which seems to go on forever, despite plenty of gratuitous sex, drug use, and violence.

Fans of self-exalted trash epics that laughably take themselves seriously, such as CALIGULA, MANDINGO, and SHOWGIRLS, should definitely add this to their collection. All other non-masochists should steer clear of this one.

Great movie
I was hesitant to watch this movie, having read such mixed reviews. When I finally saw it the other night, I wished I had watched it sooner. Spike Lee does a great job of creating a story and characters that are totally absorbing. The film was intense and had me interested from beginning to end.

As other reviewers have stated, this is not about Son of Sam, but about the Summer of Sam. Even though this serial killer's character was kept in the background, he took center stage because of how he affected so many others. The story was just as suspenseful as any good thriller, and on many different levels.

What I found particularly interesting was how they portrayed the marriage of characters John Leguizamo and Miro Sorvino, and showed how Leguizamo's deeply ingrained religious/cultural beliefs impacted their relationship and kept him from having with his wife what he sought out with other women.

The acting was great and -- Wow! -- what a cast. It was a veritable feast of familiar faces -- Bebe Neuwirth, John Savage, Mira Sorvino, Ben Gazzarra, Patti LuPone, etc. etc. A real surprise was seeing actor Michael Imperioli and then reading in the credits that he was one of the writers of the film. It would seem that the story line for his character "Christopher" on the Sopranos (where he has writing aspirations) mirrors his real-life abilities. This is one talented guy.

All in all, this is a great film that keeps you thinking -- and one of those rare movies that, if you watch it again, will show you things you hadn't seen before.

Spike Lee's brilliant direction
Spike lee is a brilliant director and it show's with this movie. his direction and placement of camera positions and angels is just plain remarkable! this movie is a masterpiece of film makeing, good job Mr. Spike Lee!!! I only hope you continue to make more film's with this style.

interesting film on one neighborhood in 1977
In 1977, David Berkowitz aka "Son of Sam" was a serial killer in New York, targeting young brunette women. Spike Lee centers this film on one New York neighborhood as they react to the news and decide for themselves who is guilty, choosing their punk friend Richie (Adrien Brody) as their suspect.

Meanwhile, David Berkowitz lies in a squalid apartment in his own madness, sure that his big black dog Harvey is speaking to him (in John Turturro's voice, no less) and insrtucting him to go out and kill.

New York in 1977 was also struck with a heat wave, and the oppressive heat seems an appropriate metaphor for all the events that reach a boiling point and culminate into a tragic violent explosion.

Fair Effort on Spike's Part
I respect Spike Lee though I sometimes find his movies confusing and misguided, then again that's just his way. Summer of Sam is full of Spike's usual wit and charm brought to the surface by some colorful and very talented actors. John Leguizamo proves his range from comedy to drama in the role of Vinnie, a coke-sniffing womanizer who's married to ( Dionna )Mira Sorvino. I felt Mira wasn't needed. She just didn't have enough to do and her role wasn't sufficient. Dionna and Vinnie have no chemistry. You never really found out what Vinnie's sex-on-the side life had to do with the movie...I'm realizing nothing. Adrian Brody was wonderful as always. There were a lot of good supporting actors but somehow the script fell short. After the first thirty minutes of the film the movie turned into another " Crooklyn " or " School Daze " showing the old Spike Lee flavor. There is nothing wrong with the old flavor but with such A-list actors and such an intense story to follow up on, Summer of Sam falls short. It's full of exciting scenes but these are the same scenes that are not needed. The story drifted off the subject too often it lost its impact. I didn't appreciate the baffling camera movements, they only took away from the story. And by the way...was Spike Lee trying to prove how many times he could use the F word? If so I think Summer of Sam wins hands down with the most usage.

I would recommend this as something to see once because it's a different film experience. I can't say I was impressed or disappointed. I was just very...confused. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

WISE GIRLS, STUPID AGENTS
Nearly every distributor in the business understandably passed on this straight-to-video stinker, not wanting to enable Mira Sorvino in gleefully cramming her flailing career in the Cuisenart.

Fans of Mariah "Meltdown" Carey may be tempted to rent this in hope gaining some insight into the rumored-about, salt shaker-tossing catfight that erupted between her and Sorvino when the diva showed up late on the set for the umpteenth time. Watching this pastafoozeling silliness, you'll marvel at the fact that she showed up at all.

It's clear early on that no one involved in this opus knew what kind movie they were making. What starts out as a marinara-flavored 9 to 5 inevitably spirals into a Girl Power Good Fellas. (Forgive the tacky, Italian clichés but these here filmmakers already beat me to the punch.)

Wisegirls, an undercooked narrative lasagna, tells us the story of three waitresses: the surly, confident workhorse (Carey), the struggling, flibbertigibbet actress (Melora Walters), and the sensitive newcomer (Sorvino) who harbors a Terrible Secret and is looking for a Clean Start. They slave away in an upscale, "Family" eatery for exorbitant tips doled out by lecherous goombahs.

The unintentional laughs begin when a coked-out, thug hanger-on blows his nose off with his own pistol. (Anything to get out of this movie.) Sorvino stops the movie dead, announcing, "Back off! I went to medical school!" Just when you think it can't get any loopier, Sorvino saves the day by wrapping the guy's head in cellophane! You won't want to miss the sight of Carey squirming while having to prop open the goon's bloody nostrils with her fingers.

Naturally, the ladies bond after enjoying some working-girls-out-on-the-town antics. During one particular girlie rap session, Carey sips champagne with her pinky finger up and goads Sorvino's Terrible Secret out of her. I wouldn't dream of spoiling it for you but I do have to let one thing slip: you'll never look at carnival rides the same way again.

Try to stay awake to see hapless Sorvino finally Run Afoul Of The Mob. Our heroine is clocked after mouthing off to her drunken boss and one of her Guido admirers comes rushing to her defense, beating the jerk into a bloody manicotti. Now that she's Seen Too Much, Sorvino is forced to use her well-learned surgical skills on the disposing of the evidence. Held at gunpoint, she contemplates taking a bullet or gettin' busy with the hacksaw while she acts and acts and acts!

Stay tuned for another ridiculous surprise involving Walters' character (It makes her heretofore birdbrained performance somewhat forgivable) but I can't resist spoiling the biggest surprise of all: MARIAH CAREY IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS MOVIE. I'm still not sure why this is. Perhaps it's because she doesn't try as hard and simply coasts through the wreckage on her starpower while Sorvino and Walters are embarrassingly methody, toiling away as if they're making serious art.

So open a bottle of cheap Chianti, bask in the sleazy glow of this made-by-coke-money bonfire, and be prepared to hate yourself in the morning. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Wisegirls- WISE Choice- !!
I had to get this DVD- becuase I am a Huge Mariah Carey Fan. Although I thought "Glitter" was no where near as horrible as critics said it was, I figured I would see her in "Wisegirls". What an awesome Movie. It really revolves around Mira Sorvino- who was awesome- she is such a natural actress- so sincere. Great acting all around. I also thought Mariah did an amazing job and added ALOT to this movie. The girl (mariah) CAN ACT! If you like Mob type movies, a bit of suspense, action, witty dialog- then this movie is for you! If you also love Mariah, you will love and appreciate her in this film. I strongly do recommend it to all- even the Mariah Bashers that think she cant act. Good comeback for her. The DVD lacks features- but what can ya do?

Good First Half (about Three Girls' Friendship) and Then ...
... very bad, impossible ending with one bloody scene. I don't say Miriah Carey is in the same league with some Hollywood leading ladies, but at least her acting is not bad as you may think, far better than her in "Glitter." The problem lies elsewhere; the film's story.

Actually, "Wisegirls" starts pretty well, about the medical student Meg (Mira Sorvino) coming back to her home in Staten Island, New York. She starts to work as food server at a local restaurant where she meets two other workers, Raychel (Carey) and Kate (Melora Walters). Meg soon finds out that this Italian restaurant is 'connected,' and some customers look like coming from "The Sopranos," but anyway she does the hard works better than the owner of the shop at first estimated, and Raychel and Kate are always there to be helpful.

Then the story of the friendship between three girls start. The scenes of the restaurant in which they work are the best part of the film, with its very convincing production design. In spite of the unique location of the Staten Island, the film spends most of its time in indoor scenes, and the decision is justified by the impressive work from the designer.

But the film suffers from cliched moments. You see, Meg has something to confess, and when Mira Sorvino does it, it's an amateur hour with the uninspired lines for her to say. Not that Mira Sorvino is bad, remember it. But the simple fact is, no one can save the awfully melodramatic, uninteresting monologue from utter boredom (but I still believe Mira Sorvino truly needs revamping of her career).

More damaging thing is, however, the plot twist at the second half of the story. The feel-good story about these girls' friendship is turned into something totally different, utterly unnecessary and forced beyond belief, which includes a murder and some cheap and disgusting gore from B-gangstar film. And even that part is not free from cliche.

As I said, Ms. Carey is not bad. Well, if you like her, you won't give the film with her name a bad review anyway, but if her acting had been as good as this in her first feature film, she might have escaped the harsh critical attacks on her she suffered in "Glitter."

But as you can easily imagine, the most impresive actor is Melora Walters, who changes her tone as the film goes on. She might be wasting her talent, as in other films of her in the past, but the fact remains that she could be the reason for you to see the film, no matter how bad it could be. And here, unfortunately, she is following the same pattern again.

Love Surprises
This is one of those simple movies with subtle depth. I missed WiseGirls when it came out and just caught it on HBO. Mira Sorvino was wonderful, as always, and, I'm embarrassed to say, I didn't recognize Mariah Carey so I was able to enjoy her solid performance without getting distracted by the baggage of her "persona." It's clean, moving, intelligent and thought-provoking. There's a bit of "Hollywood" in it, but so what? When I see these great movies that I somehow missed in the theater, I always go to Roger Ebert to see what he said about them and was surprised when I was unable to find a review. ?? I can't wait to rent it to catch the first ten minutes that I missed and see it over again with my husband.

Fun formula movie.
For those viewers that are enamored of Mariah Carey, she can do no wrong. Those viewers that do not particularly care for her, she can do nothing right. The reality is all of the actors were very sufficient for the movie. The bad buys are bad and the good guys are bad. The costumes and dialog fit very well. The story was formula and the standard twists are standard. The only thing that is below par if the "lets wrap this up" ending.

Basic story is of three waitresses that form friendships in an adversarial environment. Each brings their strengths and weakness which balance out. I will not do into detail as the unfolding story is the only attribute the movie has. ... Read more

Reviews (224)

I'm living in a state of irony.
Having seen 'Storytelling', I had a fairly good idea of what I was getting myself into when I picked this movie up. It deals with adult subject matter, for sure, but it manages to present the inherent, subtle humor of strange, bizzare, or grotesque situations. One scene that sticks out in my mind is when Philip Seymour Hoffman's character is in a diner with the character played by Camryn Manheim and she just finished telling him about her being assaulted and the particularly gruesome way she dealt with the assault, and he replied, "Well, we all have our plusses and minuses." I laughed until my sides hurt. You really have to see the scene and all it's nuances to fully appreciate it. And there are a lot of scenes like this throughout the movie. This is definately a squeamish and unsettling type of movie with some pretty difficult subject matter. Given that, I wouldn't recommend this movie to just anyone. Seek it out if you must, but be warned, it's not a happy story. As far as one reviewers' statement that the scenes were presented for there shock value only, I didn't really see it that way. I saw a peeling away of the appearance that is presented by people to show the sorid underbelly of life, like turning over a big rock to see what kind of creepy crawlies are hiding underneath. That's not to say that the people in this movie are representative of people in general, but I think we all have little secrets about ourselves, our 'rocks', that we wouldn't want the rest of the world to know. I can understand why some people would be turned off by a movie like this, as I think a lot of people go to see movies to escape from this kind of material. Also, I think Dylan Baker did an excellent job in portraying his character. He played a character who seemed to have the idyllic life, a beautiful wife, a large home in the suburbs, three children, and good career...and pedoephillic tendancies towards young boys. He was so creepy, taking advantage of oppourtunities presented to him, regardless of the consequences. I didn't feel sorry for his character, but I did feel like he was a creature trapped by his own demons, acting on his primal urges. He was what he was, and that wasn't going to change. I don't understand the urges he felt, but the characterization of the monster he became was certainly interesting to watch. I enjoyed this movie, and I am looking forward to seeing 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'.

Cookieman108

KEEP THE KIDS AWAY!
Man, this is difficult, difficult movie!! It's packed full of thoroughly unlikeable characters. And they do some awfully uncomfortable things.

The actors are all outstanding. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a loser (what a stretch!!) who starts making obscene phone calls to his next door neighbor (Lara Flynn Boyle), who enjoys them. What happens when they meet? That's just one sample of the kind of interactions you might see in this movie. It plays a little like MAGNOLIA, but without much of the hopeful tone that movie ends with.

But the source of all the controversy in this movie is the character played by the brave, brilliant Dylan Baker. He plays a totally milquetoast, average, middle-class father. Yet his character is also a child-molester. I wouldn't say his character is presented sympathetically, but he isn't always shown as just a monster either. There's one scene, wherein his son has just discovered his beloved father's secret and questions him in detail about his twisted desires. The scene is hands-down the most uncomfortable thing I've ever watched. I was literally squirming...it is so shocking, so obscene and so terribly, terribly sad. In two minutes, we see how several lives are shattered forever.

Baker's performance should have been nominated for an Oscar, but this would have required too much bravery on the part of the selection commmittee.

Do I recommend the film? Well, if you aren't afraid to have your limits tested, absolutely. It has a lot to say, not just about child molestation. It's well-acted and written, and has many very funny moments too (one character to another: "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." to which the response is: "I'm not laughing." It's from the creator of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, so you know it's going to be unconventional. But it is exciting filmmaking. ABSOLUTELY KEEP THE KIDS AWAY FROM IT!

This film is NOT honest.
"If you can't handle the realism, it's your problem; this movie isn't afraid to be honest; blah blah blah." On the contrary, Solondz goes to ludicrous extremes of contrivance to convince us that the world is horrible, people are monsters, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Every single character in this film is depressed, insane, a pervert, or a liar, and every character is unhappy. That's neither realistic nor, in my opinion, "honest" on any deeper level. Solondz does his utmost to deny the existence of any chance for redemption. The worldview this movie conveys seems to be that of a deeply troubled person desperately trying to tell us that everyone else is as miserable as he is. I'm not saying some of the things he depicts don't happen in the real world (albeit in less contrived ways). But to focus on them, to the exclusion of anything else, to make a point about the impossibility of obtaining happiness, seems dishonest, manipulative, and downright irresponsible.

I really wanted to like this movie. It was well made and well acted. I even gave it the chance to sink in, since many of my favorite movies become my favorites only after a while of thinking about them. But the more I think about this one, the angrier I get. Why would anyone want to use art in this way?

Tasteless, valueless, shock-fare garbage.
This movie has nothing to offer but shock, and I mean nothing. The acting is decent, but other than that there is no point to this film other than to expose the viewer to the darkest elements of the human psyche for shock value.

The characters are a woman who fantasizes about being raped, a man who drugs and rapes 11-year-old boys, another man who makes obscene phone calls to women while masturbating, an overweight woman who kills the man who raped her and dismembers his body, a Russian immigrant who takes advantage of vulnerable women, an oversensitive, mousy waif who cries at the drop of a hat, a senior couple who separate and try to date other people, and an 11-year-old boy who's obsessed with having his first orgasm. At the end of the movie you will probably either hate or at least dislike ALL of the characters.

Not only are the characters despicable, but this movie is BORING and POINTLESS. The very last scene where this 11-year old kid masturbates on a balcony while spying on a sunbathing neighbor then marches into the dining room and announces to his entire extended family that he "came" is a perfect example of the kind of pointless shock-fare garbage that this film is. It has no value whatsoever.

Dont look for any depth, its not there.
Yes, happiness is an offensive, disturbing film-thats not why I dislike it, it's pretty much impossible to offend me.

The reason I hate this movie is because there's NO POINT! It's just shocking and offensive for the sake of being shocking and offensive. People often mistake shocking for thought-provoking. Read all the positive reviews on this site. Not one of them actually describes any relevant themes, any statements about the human condition stated in this movie. The closest you'll find is "this movie shows that...these things really happen." NO KIDDING! A better film (and they are out there) would have delved into WHY these things happen.

This film would have a little more credibility if the dialogue was a little more believable. Humans simply do not interact that way. Also, the over-use of bright colors and happy-family stereotypes is almost insulting. Yea, humans have a dark side underneath. We get it.

To it's credit, the acting is excellent, and there are some very funny scenes. But please, dont mistake this for a challenging, revolutionary film. ... Read more

Description

Recently paroled Eddie (Billy Crudup) shows up on the doorstep of his brother Terry and his wife Janey, irrevocably altering their lives forever. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

okay movie, great performances
The movie's more like 2 and a half but I gave it the benefit of being rounded up. The movie is about a drifter who has an affair with his brother's neglected wife. The plot's been done before but the performances here are great and are what make the movie. Until this movie I had seen two Adrienne Shelly movies, Trust and The Unbelievable Truth. I could tell Adrienne had something but suffered under Hal Hartley's stagey direction. In Grind, she was finally allowed to become the character and show what an actress she could be. Billy Crudup and the the guy who plays Terry as well. They become the characters and I also like fact that the people in this movie are believable, realistic.
Shelly is still in her late thirties and I hope that Hollywood gives her "the role".

Decent Little Movie
Billy Crudup plays a screw-up who comes back to town and wreaks havoc in the lives of his brother and his sister-in-law. Adrienne Shelly plays the wife, and there is real chemistry between Crudup and Shelly, and the resolution of the conflict between the brothers is very believable. The movie is very quiet and it has a way of speaking volumes without having much said on the screen. This is a low-budget film that relies on characters to drive the story instead of quirky personality traits. You won't be disappointed if you like character-driven drama. The only quibble is why the handsome Billy Crudup insists on playing roles where he is perpetually unkempt.

Early glimpse of a major talent
GRIND is a small, oddly affecting indie film which escapes its soap opera plotting and ends up an overlooked gem. The story concerns two brothers, the older a stable, married father-to-be, the other a n'er do well just released from prison. Though lovingly taken into the older brother's home, the 'bad' brother just can't seem to escape trouble with desperate characters, not to mention his passionate affair with the brother's confused wife. The movie takes some harrowing turns and is very tasteful with the sexual interludes, allowing some fine character development and a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Indie film vet Adrienne Shelley adds another fine performance to her growing resume of odd films, but the real star is the New York stage actor Billy Crudup (later to be seen in INVENTING THE ABBOTTS and SLEEPERS). With his expressions alternately menacing and innocent and a keen sense of his own power over the camera, this young actor is ready to take off into the stratosphere, not as a patented pretty boy, but as a deeply affecting dramatic talent. GRIND is a fine welcome for him, and for us--keep watching. END ... Read more

Reviews (165)

Masterful and underrated modern noir
Martin Scorsese's film contribution of 1999 marks one'a his greatest graduations as a filmmmaker in the past decade. 'Bringing Out the Dead' documents three days in the life'a Frank Pierce, a paramedic whose journey into the abyss of human misery keeps him teetering on the brink of insanity. I mean, jus' look at the film's cover, a close-up shot of Frank's eyes, dark and stormy, narrowed in pain, and you already have a feeling of the mood that this film's gonna put forth. He cruises the streets of a gritty and growling early '90s New York City during the hellish after-hours reluctantly taking every call he gets from his dispatcher (Scorsese, in an effectively-droll cameo) and... well... he tries to save lives basically. But all these days, months, an' years'a watching people die and having to deal with the permanence of death up close has all harshly affected his psyche. Every night he must look the Grim Reaper in the face, and it teases and taunts him, a constant reminder of his own mortality. The symbol of his decent into madness is Rose, an 18-year-old homeless girl whose life he failed to save. He possesses so much guilt and regret at his inability to help her that each person he attempts to save each night, is in a way redemption for him, an' an attempt to save his OWN life. But lately he has been unable to save anyone. And the only connection or feeling he can muster up in himself comes in his consoling of a young woman named Mary Burke, played by Patricia Arquette, the daughter of a man Frank tried to save, and who is now in critical condition.

This is, using the term a little loosely, a modern film noir with its sharp-edged shadows and shots, strange angles and lonely urban settings. It is undoubtedly grim material and a very dark film, but you be surprised at how entertaining it is. There are actually moments which are very funny, even if sometimes you ask yourself why you're laughing. The supporting cast here is VERY strong, a slew of underrated and underappreciated actors and actresses (i.e. John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Aida Turturro, among others) all of whom turn in first-rate work, particularly the ridiculously underrated John Goodman and the always-impressive Ving Rhames as a gospel Christian who is Frank's co-pilot on the second night; he uses emergencies as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of Jesus (the scene in the rave-club where they are attempting to save an overdosed gothic kid is close-to-hilarious if you can believe it).

Nicolas Cage, excellent actor that he is, plays the lead with a subtle intensity, his heedless emotional availability allowing him to make transitions from counselor to embittered miserable man, desperate for a peace that seems unreachable. One thing I really admired about this film was the way Scorsese never ASKS for your sympathy regarding this character, he merely puts the truth out there and allows the viewer to decide whether they can find some way to sympathize with him and his torments and problems. The entire film unblinkingly shows you the world in which he lives an' from his own eyes. Like Scorsese's timeless masterpiece 'Taxi Driver', which this film is being UNFAIRLY compared to, everything you see is what the lead character sees and every feeling the movie has is what he's feeling. But, here, the character of Frank Pierce is a much more merciful man and one who, rather than lashing out at the society which causes him this torment, merely wants to escape somehow and leave it all behind. I'm'a end this review by jackin' sumpin' from Roger Ebert: "To look at 'Bringing Out the Dead'--to look, indeed, at almost any Scorsese film--is to be reminded that film can touch us urgently and deeply." The man knows what he's talkin' 'bout.

Disquieting film, forcefully presented
This is a disturbing and realistic character study of Frank Pierce (Nicholas Cage) a burned out paramedic, who is slowly succumbing to the depressing reality of his job and the city he lives in. He is tortured by the futility of his efforts and haunted by self blame about a young woman named Rose whose life he was unable to save. We witness about a week of his life, mostly at work handling medical emergencies. There really isn't much of a plot here. It is mostly a succession of events in the life of an EMT and a psychological study of a man losing his grip under the crushing stress of his vain attempts at saving the dregs of humanity.

Martin Scorsese brings his trademark stark realism to the film, with authentic images of the sleazy underbelly of New York City. As always, his camerawork, lighting, sets and locations were delivered with raw power and great dramatic impact. Having grown up in NYC, I was amazed at his ability to capture so perfectly the essence of the city's street life.

Unfortunately, the story diverged too often into the bizarre antics of some of the surrounding characters like Noel (Marc Anthony), and fellow paramedics like Larry (John Goodman) and Marcus (Ving Rhames). In heavy handed stories like this one, it is often necessary to have some comic relief, but Scorsese takes this concept around the bend far too often.

Nicholas Cage was superb as the self doubting paramedic at the end of his rope. His sense of torment and bipolar mood swings were compelling and potent. Patricia Arquette played a pathetic young woman, the daughter of one of Frank's rescue victims to whom he takes a shine. Makeup did a great job of making her look unbelievably plain and mousy and her portrayal was extremely effective, playing the part with a good deal of angst and despondency.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is a disquieting film that is manic-depressive in its presentation and very downbeat and pessimistic in its general tone. Its greatest assets are Cage's performance, and its realistic presentation of raw emotion and the feel of the New York streets. Its flaw is its meandering flow and its excessive and often bizarre digression from the central character study. If you can appreciate a very dark and gloomy film with forceful and poignant portrayals, it's definitely worth a look.

Can't get enough!
I've watched this movie dozens of times, and it never gets old. I love the music, the camera angles, the way it makes you feel like you're some rag doll being dragged around the city by this crazed EMT. Forget it's got Nicolas Cage and that he did Gone In Sixty Seconds and Con Air; this one will make up for the others, and then some.

So, turn off the mobile phone, put the kids to bed, make some strong coffee and sit down to fully enjoy this piece of fine work.

THIS MOVIE....
....intociates you, i can see why sober minded or un open minded people out there might not appreciatte the intense choice of scenes and the beautiful musical score which sets the scene.....its a piece of art...awesome movie...bravo!!!
IMAGERY + MUSIC + DIALOG + GOOD ACTING=a good movie.

It doesnt have to make sense, use your brain and interpret it for yourselves, and enjoy the ride along the way...dont take it to serious.

A FILM THAT DEFIES GENRE (SADLY, IT ALSO DEFIES A PLOT)
As always with Scorsese "Bringing out the dead" has a shimmering technical finish, an overlay of dark humor, strong supporting performances and a splendid star cast: Cage plays a worn-out NYC paramedic with an appealing world-weariness and intensity. You could nearly suspect that he was himself one of the "Dead".

Yet, the whole movie never really caught my attention as I waited and waited and waited for something to really happen. Despite some interesting vignettes from people's lives in NY, many of which are repeated again and again, the film is never really engaging, possibly because the characters are never especially believable.

The crux of Cage's character's emotional ordeal -- why he became a paramedic, why he stays one, why he feels such smothering personal guilt -- somehow gets lost amid all of Scorsese's camera tricks and Schrader's cheap laughs.

Brilliant production values, boring overall output. ... Read more

Description

With hopes of a professional basketball career, young streetwise Lex vows never to let the streets pull him under. When the basketball dream ends and pressures of everyday life come crashing in, Lex descends into drugs and crime.Interactive Menus, Filmographies & Awards, Production Credits, Scene Access ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A biting and seedy look at NY street and drug life ....
In this movie we follow two very different brothers raised by an alcoholic street walking mother ... One brother manages to overcome the adversity of his upbringing always striving for a long term goal, while the older brother takes a more hedonistic look at life and doesn't really plan further than tomorrows thrill .....

This certainly is one of the hands down best depictions of how drugs really ruin your life and your loves ... it certainly must be noted that this 1977 is NOWHERE close to the violent drug movies of today where we are treated to super close up shots of users inserting heroin needles ....