Reviews (40)

A World Turned Upside Down and Inside Out: Could You Survive
This is one of the best films in the genre--historial film from autobiography. Marco Hofschneider brings to brilliant life the story of Salamon Perel, a German Jew. From the days of Kristallnacht--the Night of Broken Glass, when Jewish businesses were trashed and vandalized throughout Germany, to his final reunification with his brother--to poignant to say more about this here...this is a cinematic masterpiece.

I've seen few films that capture the turmoil of adolescent identity and identification so well. True, the Nazi era is the backdrop, but the themes couldn't be more universal. In that respect, it is also more relevant today, in 2004, than during the 1980s, when it was filmed--especially in America, where the American identity has been deconstructed so as to be hardly palpable. Also, it is equally relevant in Europe, where national distinctions could meld into a Confederacy if not a Union of some power.

Politics aside, this is an intensely personal film, one where the unquestioned identity of youth (German) falls victim to oncoming War and cruel happenstance. Perel must continually revise his vision OF himself and FOR himself, and at one point wishes for nothing more than to be an Nazi, for a beautiful young German girl becomes enfatuated with him. How did he end up in this position, wearing the uniform of the Hitler Youth at an Elite boarding school in Berlin? Or lose his virginity to a high-ranking female Party member while he is escorted by train from the Eastern Front to Berlin, as a Folk Hero (Volksdeutscher Held). Perhaps you think it unimaginable. I do not.

I've seen places in German where the remnants of Jewish culture and tradition are clear as day--such as a former High School for Jews in Berlin--with Hebrew and German inscribed clearly in the stones.

No, though Germany seems to some a heartless pillar of unemotionality, efficiency, heartlessness, the German characters in Europa, Europa are as human as those found anywhere. They fall victim to their personal aspirations, desire to please, deceitfulness, betrayal...simply put, human.

Although current fashion is to think of the period as one of the "banality of evil" (attributed to Hannah Arendt, Holocaust scholar), this film exposes the period as one more of human triumph and tragedy, and that, while we grow into adulthood, our personal identity is as much at the mercy of the passage of time and events as a unique, solitary construction.

See this film! It will draw you into the themes of Life, Love, and Redemption, and be over leaving you desperate for more.

Your friend, your enemy, you....
I caught this movie originally on cable a few minutes into the film and was instantly intrigued and completely confused. A Jewish kid in the German Army? And the Hitler Youth? And in love with a German girl who says nice things like 'If there were a Jew here right now, I'd cut his throat!' right before she asks him to father her child. What the hell was going on here?

What was going on was 'Europa, Europa', an outstanding and often funny (true) story of a teen of German-Jewish extraction named Jupp who in 1939 was in the Communist Youth League in one of the Soviet-occupied Baltic territories, and ended up being captured by the Germans when they invaded the USSR in 1941. Naturally he concealed his Jewish identity and, believing him to be Volksdeutsch (a non-German of German blood, and therefore automatically a German citizen under Hitler's laws) the Wehrmacht drafted him as a soldier-translator. This begins Jupp's double life....a few months ago he was a Communist and a Jew, and now he's a German and a Nazi....just imagine this kid's confusion. The soldiers of his unit adopt him as a sort of mascot, and even when one of the soldiers discovers his secret, he does not betray him. The mutual affection between Jupp and the soldiers becomes real over time, and leads to Jupp's first crisis of identity: how can he be friends and comrades with men who believe Jews are evil, sub-human scum? Things get even more complicated when the violently anti-Semetic commander of the unit offers to adopt Jupp and send him back to Germany to join a Hitler Youth hostel. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Jupp finds the Hitler Youth both a dream and a nightmare. On the one hand, much of the Nazi propaganda turns out to be true -- the boys are tough, fun-loving, comradely, and loyal. They enjoy their singing, marching, and sports, and they are truly inspired by the destruction of snobbery and class privelege which was a central objective of National Socialism (Nazism). On the other hand, they sing charming songs like "sharpen your knives on the paving stone, the Jewish blood will run" and spend time in class learning to 'spot' Jews and other sub-humans through racial characteristics (Jupp is selected as a good example of Baltic Aryan blood). These kids remind you of darling young tiger cubs that will grow up into man-eaters: they are both charming and frightening.

Much of the movie is a black-comic attempt by Jupp to fit in as a loyal German youth while hiding his Jewish identity from his friends, which is tough on account of being circumcised in a society where circumcision was performed only among Jews (there are some lengths Jupp goes to to disguise this fact that will make any man watching EXTREMELY uncomfortable....I kept thinking "God, that poor kid!"). As you can imagine, when he falls for a lovely Arayan maiden, disguising this fact becomes even harder.

As the war roars towards its conclusion, Jupp is torn by the loyalty and sense of belonging he feels in the HJ/Nazi Germany and his true identity. After the defeat at Stalingrad, the mourning boys gather and sing poignantly together as brothers, and Jupp mourns with them. The fact that he is clearly not faking shows the turmoil and conflict in his young heart. Is he Jupp, the Jew, or Jupp, the Nazi?

"Europa, Europa" is different from 'Holocaust' type movies in that it injects a lot of humor into otherwise horrible situations without cheapening what happened. This is an undeniably tragic and moving film; it is also pretty damn funny. But it will also make you mad, and the really infuriating thing for the viewer is the colossal waste of it all -- the movie shows how the egalitarian ideals of National Socialism inspired, moved, and united young people, but was perverted by race hatred, anti-Semetism, and bloodlust, and ulyimately had to be destroyed at a terrible cost to everybody involved. What a stupid, criminal waste of millions of able young men, who were taught to hate people really no different than themselves. What a pity the Germans chose to forget the many Jews who served ably and courageously for their country in World War I, and bought into Hitler's insane hatred of them, a hatred which was not only stupid but hypocritical. After all, the man who in 1917 or so recommended a young Corporal Hitler for his Iron Cross First Class was a lieutnant named Hugo Gutmann....but somehow I'm willing to bet that fact never came up in any Hitler Youth class. Too bad for Jupp, and too bad for Europa.

Mesmerizing story based on true events¿
Europa Europa is set in the year before and during the World War II in Europe. The story is based on the true events of the young boy, Salomon "Solly" Perel (Marco Hofschneider), son of a shopkeeper in Poland who experienced brutality through the eye of the enemy as he had to disguise himself in order to survive as his heritage was Jewish. Initially Solly escapes the German's wearing a Nazi leather coat with the Swastika on the arm, which becomes his first disguise or act in order to survive. This continues throughout the film where Solly must hide his true identity, which deals with his circumcision, culture, and background. The constant acting by Solly leads him to begin to feel unsure about his true identity as he tries to assimilate into Nazi-German culture and reject himself. At one point Solly's feelings towards his Jewish background are close to hatred as he also struggles with the natural dilemmas of a teenager such as identity and love. Europa Europa is a dark coming of age film depicting the terrible destiny of Solly as he grows up as a pro-Nazi in order to survive and have self-discovery while hiding himself from himself. When the audience stretches their legs during the end credits there will be much room for pondering and contemplation as Europa Europa leaves the viewers with an excellent cinematic experience.

Warning - Not Much Of This Movie Is True
Mr. Perel's story - that is to say, his autobiography - is interesting and compelling. Regretably, this movie has taken literary license to an unfortunate extreme. "Leni," his girlfriend of sorts at the Hitler Youth School, was never pregnant in real life. At the end of the war, he was actually captured by the Americans in his sleep rather than the dramatic capture by the Russians depicted in the movie. He never captured a Russian position as depicted in the movie or otherwise. And, the homosexual German soldier depicted in the movie didn't merely make a casual pass at Perel - he actually tried to rape Perel on a number of occassions, once by trying to knock him out with chloroform (And yet in the end he did keep Perel's secret and they did become friends, as depicted in the movie). Not only was the movie full of drama that never happened, it also cut out significant events which did occur in real life - for example, Perel confronted his classmates and teachers at the end of the war. A very good movie, yes, but it irks me a great deal that so many "facts" were concocted out of thin air, at the expense of many true compelling events. I therefore do not recommend this movie, and instead recommmend Perel's book, and also the book "Hiding in Plain Sight" by Betty Lauer, which was published in March 2004.

I love this movie !!!
This movie is excellent! I can't believe more of my friends don't know this movie. It is truly an underrated movie by mainstream people, especially since it's a true story about a holocaust survivor. Even the music score is awesome. The music was written by Zbigniew Preisner, who has the most intense and sad music ever written for a holocaust movie. It's a crime that this movie is underrated by the mainstream. At least it won many film awards by independent film makers back in the early 1990s. There is justice afterall!!! ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Dicaprio and Thewlis brilliant as creative misfits.
I loved watching this movie mostly because of the acting. The story itself is pretty over-the-top about self-absorbed creative types. All the other characters just take it in the neck, especially if they try to interact or inhibit them. I really related to these characterizations because of personal experience with "artistic types" in NY.

Back to the acting: Dicaprio and Thewlis are both brilliant in these roles. There was no self-consciousness in the middle of either the nonsense philosophizing or passionate sex. There is never any doubt that these two characters have taken over the actor's bodies and minds. Bravo!

The impact of the story, about where the alienated and self-absorbed philosophy that drove early 60s and 70s pop and rock stars came from is worth watching the film for: Morrison fans take note.

Exceptional movie
I must say that this was an excellant film all around. The quality of the production and the acting was outstanding. DeCaprio did a fantastic job, in fact the best acting I've ever seen him do to date. I was totally impressed with the story and I could not find one poor performance in the film. The script is based a true story with damatic additions I'm sure, however it was a very enjoyable film if only for the chance to see what I believe is some of the finest acting I've ever seen. This is a fantastic investment and a must for the video collection. Be aware that most of the film deals with subject matter best viewed by adults because of sexual content,implied sex acts and nudity. This is not a film for narrow minds or prudish thinkers.

Fantastic, Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant
This is a great movie and is by far Leonardo DiCaprio best performance yet. He should of won an Oscar for his harrowing portrayal of 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Rimbaud was a literary genius at the age of 16, who wrote wonderful and obscure poems about sex and death among other topics.

His intense and volatile relationship with fellow poet Paul Verlaine was often times disturbing and mad. Verlaine had trouble accepting the fact that his friend, confidant and lover was extremely gifted and more successful than he ever was.

Arthur Rimbaud was a merciful and shrewed young man who found pleasure in getting his way all the time and making other people look ridicule (especially the ones he did not like). Verlaine's young wife could not tolerate him and blamed him for making her husband abandon her for long periods of time. Verlaine would always come back to his wife but found Rimbaud so irresistable that he always ended up doing what he wanted and would succumb to his every need be it emotional or sexual. Arthur always knew had to get Paul wrapped up around his finger and got him to do whatever he wanted atleast most of the time.

This film is highlated by great performances from the entire cast and once again it is DiCaprio's remarkable performance that makes this film extremely interesting to watch. I don't think this movie is for everyone especially the ones that only think that a good movie is not good unless someone or something gets blown off. DiCaprio's character goes thru many changes in his appearance especially when he is dying of a terrible disease (I'm sorry but I can't seem to remember which one) his character is both physical and emotional and he plays it with incredible strength and emotion.

If you are a serious movie collector this is a "must have" for your collection. I love everything about this film and is one of my favorite movies ever. I gave it a 5 star rating because that as high as it goes but I would give a 10 rating because it has all the ingredients a great movie suppose to have. Watch this movie and it will leave you breathless. Superb and beautiful all the way through.

A Masterpiece!!
an astonishing film. one i wont soon forget. i love how leo dicaprio has a special ability to play any type of character he chooses!

Not altogether accurate, but fun.
Total Eclipse does a fine job at painting a portrait of a beautiful, disturbed genius. However in actuality some of Arthur Rimbaud's photos from his childhood show a less attractive poet.

Much dialogue was taken from Rimbaud's own writings, so don't expect that he actually told Verlaine one day that "Love needed to be reinvented." This is simply a line from his "A Season in Hell" and the verse that proceeds it says that he does not like women. Then again we will never know some of the amazing things that Rimbaud said in his daily life, but from his poetry the director takes the best of what he wrote and almost makes it seems as if he said the phrases to Verlaine one day while drinking absinthe.

One who is truly familiar with Rimbaud should expect the movie to contain sadomasochism and sexual content. I've read other reviews that said the movie contained too much. Denying Rimbaud's role this would make the movie a fairy tale as thankfully the director knew that Rimbaud experienced these things and wrote of them.

Lastly, just expect to see a small portion of Rimbaud's life in the movie. He had other companionships and childhood friends which were more interesting than Paul Verlaine. I do appreciate this film and the viewer should expect to be shocked. Or as Rimbaud would say "Then why would you suppose that I intended you to be?" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Filmed before (and quite nicely) in 1949, Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's story was remade for this admirable 1993 release, executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. Splendidly adapted by Edward Scissorhands screenwriter Caroline Thompson, the film opens in India during the early 1900s, when young Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is orphaned and sent to England to live in Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy estate of her brooding and melancholy uncle, Lord Craven (John Lynch). Because the uncle is almost always away on travels, struggling to forget the death of his beloved wife, Mary is left mostly alone to explore the estate. Eventually she befriends the young brother of a staff maid and Lord Craven's apparently crippled son, who has been needlessly bedridden for years. Together the three children restore a neglected garden on the estate grounds, and in doing so they set the stage for a moving reaffirmation of life and love. Filmed with graceful style and careful attention to the intelligence and cleverness of young children, The Secret Garden is that rarest breed of family film that transcends its own generic category, encouraging a sense of wonder and optimism to become a rewarding experience for viewers of any age. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Superlative!
This is a film that will appeal to children of all ages. A definite MUST, and this is no exaggeration. Secrets and hidden passages abound in Misselthwaite Manor, where orphaned Mary Lennox is to live after coming from India (her parents were killed in a great Indian earthquake which happened a few months earlier in the storyline.) Adding to the depth of the story is an almost absent uncle who lives in the shadow of a tragic past. There is also her sickly cousin of a brat, who just can't stand the sunlight and fresh air. Put in too, impatient Mrs. Medlock, who is your "perfect" housekeeper. And top these with The Secret Garden, a sanctuary where the story finds its turning point from dark and despair to one of life, healing and hope. It is a place where things begin, and not without the efforts of the children, to grow.

There are moral lessons to boot all throughout the story. And for sure, the photography deserves praise. Suberb! Overall a perfect film that deserves a place in a collection. Frances Hodgson Burnett would not have been ashamed to see this film version of her classic novel were she alive today. Don't miss out on this one.

A lovely, wonderfully done film
There are so many wonderful things about this vivid, affecting film: mesmerizing cinmetography, a captivating story, a pretty good script, a very good music score, wonderful acting, even gorgeous flowers! Agneiska Holland does a wonderful job of bringing out all the subtle little points and lavish details of Frances Hosgson Burnett's classic story, and also in getting great performances out of her child actors, particularly from Kate Maberly as Mary, who at the age of ten succeeds remarkably in carrying the whole film. At her most effective when biterly recalling her parents and angrily confronting Colin, also played well by Heydn Prowse, she also makes a believeable transformation into a good, caring little girl as she tends a lovely hidden garden. Maggie Smith also delivers as Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper who seems to be mean but really is only doing what she thinks best, even if it means locking Mary up and attempting to control Colin's every move. There is not a dud performance to be found here, but those mentioned are the best. The magical qualities in the garden are very apparent here, and wonderfully demonstrated. There are many good film versions of this great book, and some that aren't so good. If you want to own only one, my vote would go to this one, the best of the bunch.

Beautifuly done but "creative" with the plot
This is a beautiful film, there is absolutely no denying that. It is also exceptionally well cast: Mary's transformation from sour little brat to glowing wee lass is completely believable, and the bratty, dour Colin makes a perfect "to the manor born" invalid. My only problem is the liberties taken with the plot.

Having the parents die in an earthquake while Mary is watching is a needless, though minor liberty (though it does mean that the touching line about "there's no one left to come" must be left out). But there was no need to change the plot to make the housekeeper (a wasted Maggie Smith) evil, and the chanting around the campfire is just weird.

The movie is worth watching for the scenery alone, but make sure that you read the book first. It is much better.

Nice Try
I didnt like it. It was not true to the book wich is wonderful.They left out when Mary was in India completely and they interpret the magic Mary and Colin are always talking about all wrong. Also Mary didnt get locked in her room at all. It was a poor job and a great disapointment.

looks like I'll have to explain the part about the chanting
The point of the Indian chanting is the sharing of the culture. Which is one of the things I love about this movie. The message is for all the people to see the difference of culture and ACCEPT it. If you have a certain religious belief and don't agree with it. Just think about your opposite: someone who don't believe in your religion and watches something that has its element. For example someone who isn't a Christian watching " the Crucible" how do you think they feel??? the only thing I don't like about this movie is that it didn't win ANY Oscars. This proves the Oscars are sooo ignorant of its visual beauty and music. screw them!!!! ... Read more

Description

Ed Harris and Anne Heche star in Agnieszka Holland's provocative mystery that explores the spiritual phenomenon behind miracles, and the doubts and desires of a priest who has lost his faith. Father Frank Shore is a church-appointed spiritual detective whose job it is to investigate claims of miracles. An investigation leads him to a woman who challenges his beliefs. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

You Can't Miss It
The question I keep asking after renting The Third Miracle is how could have missed it in the theaters. I mean, it's one of the best movies I have seen in many years. You don't have to be a person of faith to see a priest suffering the horrors of hell in his heart and mind when everything he sees and touches doesn't make sense. That is, until his bishop puts him to work to find out if a fervent woman who lived in her parish convent was truly a saint. It takes three miracles to declare that a person obviously has a special relationship with God in Heaven, and the priest can prove only two. Ed Harris is wonderful, the hearing by cardinals and bishops is certainly fair and within our reach, compared to the images most people have about the power of the hierarchy. It's just a marvelous movie. Go see it.

By the way, the third miracle is right there in front of our eyes..but I won't spoil your enjoyment of a great mystery story. Jim Crosson

Miracle of Miracles
The process of "making" a saint is an unusual topic for a film and Agnieszka Holland makes the most of it by bringing it down to the human level in "The Third Miracle." And Ms. Holland is very lucky indeed to have two of the finest actors as her humans: Ed Harris and Anne Heche. Harris plays a priest whose job it is to verify the "saintability" of Heche's mother. There are several plot lines swirling around in the film including Harris' committment or lack thereof to his religion, the miracles themselves and who they happen to as well as the process of making someone a saint. What sets "The Third Miracle" apart and above most films is the manner in which the relationships are scripted. A script is the backbone of any film and the words are its'fingers and toes. "The Third Miracle" is an extremely hearfelt movie and an obvious labor of love to all involved. Order it NOW.

I thought the baby was the 3rd miracle too!
My movie-type,wishful thinking of the miraculous would have been to have the 3rd miracle be the birth of Roxanne's baby girl from the unconsummated union between Father Shore and Roxanne. I see there's one other wishful Amazonite out there who agrees. Yeah, that would have been a great line "She has your eyes." Then his mouth dropping open, with a very appropriate rejoinder of "Oh, my God!" But try explaining "that" miracle to the church committee!

But as another viewer said the unmentioned and understated 3rd miracle could well be Father's Shore recovered faith and Roxanne's ability to love again and have her own miracle from God, a child for her to "never abandon."

Though I was a bit confused, supposedly the 1st miracle is the little gypsy girl's prayer (Roxanne's mother) stopping the bomb from landing, the 2nd being that twisted/crippled young man straightening out, and 3rd being Roxanne's mother (when older) bringing the druggy teen back from near death at the hospital.

And by the way, who was that grief-stricken lady, being consoled by Father Shore, at the teen's death bed? The drunk, abusive mother who used to burn her little daughter with cigarettes?!

Or was that twisted young man a hoax? I didn't get that scene in the resturant with him and his mother, who were working there. Why were they so non-committal, because it was a hoax or because Father Shore was known as the "miracle killer?"

And what was the incident that caused Father Shore to lose his faith and be named "the miracle killer?" The details are never mentioned.

That's what kept me from rating this 5 stars.......too many frustrating, unaswered questions for a movie to be satisfactory in the end.

Email me with any comments about this movie. Thanks!

Yes, miracles do happen!
I am a Roman Catholic and I understand the whole, lengthy and deeply exhausting investigative process surrounding beatification and canonization. I also know that non Catholics and non Christians don't understand it and may even think that the Church arbitrarily elevates anyone it wants to Sainthoood. This film, "The Third Miracle", does a fairly good job exploring the canonization process in a feature film. Granted, times and themes have changed since "The Song Of Bernadette" won the Best Film Oscar in 1944 exploring the "Marian Miracle" theme, but it is reassuring that this type of screenplay still makes for a moving and haunting film. Sadly, the film did not get a lot of promotion or ballyoo even though it was marvelously produced, had high production values and featured superb performances by Ed Harris, Anne Heche and a host of other notable supportng players. Ed Harris is truly one of the screens most riveting actors and even his smaller screen parts are unforgettable for their realism, intensity and strength. Anne Heche is perfect as the wayward, doubting daughter especially in her meetings with Father Shore.

My only criticisms, and they are mild, involve the smoking, drinking clergy portrayed and their seeming love of socializing and the "good life". Also, the ending was too unexplained and it left you somewhat dangling as to how Roxanne acquired her child. Was she married? To whom? Was the child adopted? Where was the husband? It would seem that Father Shore and Roxanne would have had something more profound to say to one another after such an emotional and harrowing experience.

In summation, many believers and non believers, those of strong faith and those who have doubts about their beliefs, will take something different away from this film. I would only add that we will never understand God's ways. To those who believe no proof is necessary. To those who don't, all the proof in the world is irrelevant.

Dick Bobnick

Entertaining Attack on Catholic Church
The performances of this film are excellent. Ed Harris hits such diverse levels as the Catholic priest questioning his faith. Anne Heche has nice orange hair, deep blue eyes, and looks marvelous. The cinematography is excellent with the darker interior scenes and the flashbacks with their blue tones. The DVD does not offer a lot of extra materials unless you'd like to have language subtitles.

Two things about this picture bothered me. The first is the attack on the Catholic church. One person commented that this is the church that "exonerates pedofiles and questions miracles." However, I think one must distinguish between the group religion and real religion which is personal and lives within the individual believer. Harris does a masterful job of showing this conflict. But it is the group attack that turned me off. The film's point of view seems to assume that the group should work with the speed of the individual. The velocities are quite different; so I found this an unaffair attack upon an easy target.

The second problem I had was that the film didn't seem to go anywhere. For me, the film fizzles at the end. We go for a long time on the story then hit the "1 year later" cut and finally the "3 years later" cut. This seemed to mute the ending rather than build to one. This was not an episodic tale; so a climax would have been nice. Of all the Amazon reviewers, I guess I'm the only one who wondered if that was the priest's baby that Heche brings in the last scene. It would have been more interesting if she'd said something like, "She has your eyes."

Although this film doesn't quite work, it's still interesting enough to spend some time with. Pictures dealing with faith are few and far between & to be cherished when they do come along. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mixup
The previous review mixes up the performers. Ribisi plays the brother and Koteas plays Gilmore.

riveting and greatly acted
with two performances by Elias Koteas and Giovanni Ribisi this movie is special with its great story about Giovanni who plays Gary Gilmore who is going to be sentenced to death and his brother who doesnt remember him played with grace by Elisa Koteas. It's an HBO movie straight to video after it was on the channel.

Excellent Film
I watched this movie over and over and over again. It is amazing - especially because it's true. The allusions and foreshadowing are so well done, and the references to blood atonement made my jaw drop. I had no clue this even happened until I watched this movie, but I'm glad I have an idea now. I know what "Looking Through Gary Gilmore's Eyes" is about now! But besides that, Elias Kotes is amazing as Gary, especially during the shoelace scene. And Giovanni Ribisi - I won't even begin to describe how wonderful he was. His character portrayed that of a man still growing up, and it was really cool to watch.
I seriously would have given this movie 5 stars, except that I'm a really weird person and not many people have the ability to sit and watch movies like this - it's a slow drama, and I can understand why others might click it off before giving it a chance. I'm going to buy the book soon. ;-)

Potentially fascinating film ruined by a dull script
SHOT IN THE HEART is based on the true story of murderer Gary Gilmore (well played buy Elias Koteas) who was the first prisoner to be sentenced to death in a decade. Set in the year 1977, the film revolves around the efforts of his younger brother Mikal (Giovanni Ribisi) to stop the execution, even against his brothers wishes; because Gilmore sees himself gaining permanent notoriety, he even has t-shirts with GILMORE printed on them. While well acted, the film's pace is rather stodgy and interesting only occasionally. That same year a punk song by The Adverts called GARY GILMORE'S EYES was released. The song is only a couple of minutes long. This movie is over 90 minutes. Download the song and try and find it in your heart to forgive screenwriter Frank Pugliese for making such a snoozer out of potentially interesting material. The film is based on the book by Mikal Gilmore.

This is a great film with first rate acting!
I can't say enough about this film. It is a very touching film with some great acting from the two leads. Giovanni Ribisi is one of the best young actors around now and Elias Koteas should really get more leading parts cause he's a wonderful actor, he reminds me of Robert Deniro a bit. After seeing this film I am dying to read the book that the film was based on. You have to feel sorry for Gary Gilmore when you see what kind of environment he grew up in. I'm glad his brother didn't end up going down the same road. A MUST SEE! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Excellent, underwatched show with smart writing, great cast
"Veronica Mars" is a lot smarter than your average show featuring attractive teenage characters. To use the term "teen drama" is misleading, as the story is darker, subtler and more sophisticated than other shows like "The O.C." and "Dawson's Creek." It's a modern twist on the noir genre placed in high school, centering around 17-year-old Veronica, once popular but now a social outcast after a chain of events following the murder of her best friend, Lilly Kane.

In every episode, Veronica, a P.I.'s daughter, solves a smaller mystery, while also assembling clues and delving further into the bigger mystery of Lilly's case. The brilliance of the show is in tying the small cases into the larger, overarching themes surrounding the larger mystery. While there are a few episodes that feel more stand-alone, as is the case in all TV drama series, the writers do an excellent job in avoiding letting them become mere filler, throwaway cases -- instead, they use them to feed us more information to further Lilly's case. (As a result, it's hard to skip any episodes without missing some crucial bit of information about the main msytery.)

It's amazing how carefully drawn the entire season is, with clues placed in a meticulously careful, controlled manner, all amping up to an intense crescendo in the last four or five episodes. As the season draws to a close, the intricately laid details click into place as Veronica solves the two biggest cases -- the mystery of her rape (which occurred shortly following Lilly's death and her subsequent ejection from the "cool" crowd) in the penultimate episode (a wonderfully complex, dark and emotional episode), then Lilly's murder in the season finale.

Despite the darkness of the series, there are notable lighter moments too, and the show has quite a bit of humor thrown into the mix. The writing is witty and smart, and the actors pull off comedy just as capably as they do angst and drama. The cast is excellent, and the actors have noticeable chemistry with one another, but two standouts are Kristen Bell as Veronica and Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls (who has an amazingly complexcharacter arc that is drastic, enthralling and utterly believable). As Veronica's former friend, nemesis, then reluctant ally (and the lines blur frequently), Dohring steals every scene he's in, and when he's with Bell the sparks really fly, whether they're pushing each other's buttons, antagonizing each other or simply bantering.

Man, I love this show. Thank goodness UPN had the guts to renew it for a second season.

Veronica Mars is what is RIGHT with television today
I started watching Veronica Mars mid-season, when One Tree Hill was on hiatus.I could kick myself for not watching this show from the beginning.I stopped watching One Tree Hill and the O.C. because the shows have little substance to them and the characters are bland.Veronica Mars's characters are multidimensial.Nobody is completely perfect or innocent, and the guilty usually have redeeming qualities.Veronica's cases usually have a twist in them, like you end up feeling sorry for the bad guy who gets caught.I was a big fan of Desperate Housewives and still watch it, but I think Veronica Mars's mysteries are done better.VM is the best show of 2004 and is still the only show I'm looking forward to in the fall of 2005.It is a smart show and way better than mindless reality shows or dumb shows on the major networks.Do yourself a favor, and "get a clue."Give this show a chance.You won't regret it.

Top-notch:Veronica Mars *is* smarter than me.
Veronica Mars is a brilliantly written, tightly paced show with dark, intricate storytelling and lots of humor. It gets a lot of comparisons to Buffy because its lead character is a tiny blonde teen who takes no prisoners and is always quick with a clever comeback, but in many ways VM is a more complex and intriguing show, and there are almost no "fight scenes" and no fantasy elements. Unlike Buffy, Veronica has no superpowers and knows she can't "kick butt" when she is trying to bring down the bad guys. She has only her intelligence and her wits to keep her ahead of the game. Plus, when the going gets rough, she has her trusty dog Backup to scare off the evildoers.

Veronica is frequently described as a "modern day Nancy Drew," but she is also much more than that. Yes, she does work for her private investigator dad tracking down missing persons and solving other mysteries both large and small, and her weapons of choice are modern-day tools like the internet, cell phones, and Lojack. But Veronica is not your typical peppy teenage girl. She is the anti-cheerleader, a very angry girl who is more likely to taunt her classmates with clever insults than to provide any cheer. While she does have her softer side, it's well hidden and she doesn't reveal it very often. She didn't always used to be this way, and the series takes it time exploring, via flashbacks, how Veronica used to be in the past and why she became so angry and isolated from her peers.

If you have wanted to watch the show but have been put off by the "teen" angle, rest assured that there truly is something for everyone here, of any age. The writing is sophisticated and adult. These teens do things like quote Hamlet and make pop-culture references as widely varied as Heathers to Brigadoon, so the dialogue is frequently quippy and never boring. But the humor never takes over the entire show to make it too light, and the tone is pretty dark overall, considering that the underlying mystery driving Veronica for the entire season is finding the person who murdered her best friend Lilly Kane. Add to that some story lines involving rape, incest, and child abuse, and it's clear that this is no comedy. It's also not for children and sometimes tests the bounds of what you might see on network television in terms of the darkness of the subject matter. Drugs, alcohol, and sex are portrayed as a fact of life among teenagers and the show is not moralizing or preachy in any way, although it frequently portrays the sometimes tragic consequences of all of the above.

Kristen Bell is astonishingly good as Veronica, but the entire cast is for the most part pretty first-rate, especially Enrico Colantoni (as her dad Keith Mars) and Jason Dohring (as her arch-nemesis Logan Echolls). If you are a fan of twisty ongoing mysteries like Lost or Twin Peaks, or you enjoy the quippy humor of the Gilmore Girls or the O.C., or even if you like old-fashioned detective stories like Columbo or the Rockford Files, give Veronica Mars a try because it truly combines the best of all of the above. And if you are a guy, Kristen Bell is pretty darn cute, to boot. So there's that, too.

excellent
This is the only thing I was looking forward to see every week on TV. Excellent writing with main story going across all the episodes and sub-stories that get resolved at the end of each episode. Veronica Mars is a 17 years old daughter of a private investigator, a former sheriff. She's helping him with his cases, has her own to solve and she's decided to find out who killed her best friend Lilly Kane. Almost all the answers get answered by the end of the season. Excellent acting from all the actors. I cannot praise highly enough Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars and Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls. Highly recommended!

Veronica Mars is the best show ever
This show is so amazing. if you like a good mystery then this is the show for you. ... Read more