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| 1. The Natural Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Description Reviews (97)
Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, a man who truly loves baseball. All his life, he's been poised for greatness, but life has thrown him for some loops. He returns to the game in his late 30s and gets a final shot. Redford is pretty good in the role, although he's really too old for the part. Barry Levinson directs, and his direction is unusally ham-fisted...he and the actors telegraph every plot twist. Glenn Close was nominated for an Oscar, but she really isn't that good as Hobb's long-time love interest. Ultimately, the movie is too melodramatic and unfocused with cardboard characters, especially the villianous judge. Extras: The only real DVD extra is a documentary on the movie featuring Cal Ripken Jr. It's pretty good, more affecting than the movie!
THE NATURAL is the story of Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), a Midwestern boy who dreams of being "the best" in the world of baseball. Roy's dreams aren't just "pie in the sky." This kid has talent, talent like no one's ever seen before. But, as he's making the trip to Chicago to try out, he encounters Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey), an enigmatic and dangerous woman, and Roy's life changes forever. Sixteen years later, though, Roy Hobbs is given what most people can only long for, a second chance. Yes, this second chance requires a stretch of the viewer's imagination, but not so much that it becomes an impossibility. I know many people didn't care for Robert Redford's portrayal of Roy Hobbs, but I thought he was perfect. He really makes us believe in Roy and in his dreams and in his principles. I can't think of any other actor who could have carried off this role and carried it off so perfectly. Wilfred Brimley is perfect as Pop Fisher, Hobbs' manager. Robert Duvall as Max Mercy is also perfectly cast as is a very young Kim Basinger as Memo Paris, the woman who wants to be Hobbs' nemesis "the second time around." I didn't particularly like Glenn Close as Iris, but that's just personal preference. Close did a very good job with her role but not quite as good as did Basinger and Basinger's was far more demanding. There are few mistakes in the continuity of this film. At one point, while playing for the mythical New York Knights at Wrigley Field, Hobbs' hits homeruns in the bottom of the ninth. What? He wasn't traded to the Cubs, so this has to be an oversight on the part of the production crew since the Knights, as visitors to Wrigley Field, would bat in the top of the inning. There are a few other such oversights, but I don't feel they're worth mentioning. THE NATURAL works, and works so well, I think, because it relies so heavily on mythology, most notably the myth of the Fisher King. It romanticizes the game of baseball. Sure, it's been romanticized before, quite possibly more than any other sport, but THE NATURAL does it so well that we do believe and we do root for Roy Hobbs and all he stands for. Make us believe? This film makes us believe like no other. Levinson has changed Malamud's ending considerably, but I feel that's for the best. Had there been no departures from the book, Hobbs wouldn't have been a sympathetic character and the film would have been too dark and contained too much despair. As it is, we're left with the promise of better things to come and hope for the future, just what baseball gave us in the "good old days." THE NATURAL may be dismissed as "hokum" by some but I think it's an American masterpiece and pure magic.
Cast: Robert Redford ... Roy Hobbs This film made quite a stir when it was released. One of Redford's better ones. Roy Hobbs (Redford) loves baseball. He played in high school and the semi-pros, and was picked up and given a contract by a scout for the fictional big league team, the New York Knights. Of course, he is the best! A natural. He has a problem with his past, which he is close mouthed about, but a corrupt club owner, the Judge (Robert Prosky), tries first to pay him to lose in the playoffs, and then tries to blackmail him, and to subject him to the wiles of a femme fatale. And, of course trouble comes in threes...it is also discovered that he had a bullet in his gut that could be fatal if he keeps playing ball. So, guess what? He keeps playing ball. This is a good, entertaining story. Redford has a huge following, and for good reason. Normally, I'm not enamored of baseball films, but this is a good one. I recommend it to you. Joseph (Joe) Pierre | |
| 2. Wag the Dog (New Line Platinum Series) Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (99)
Wag the Dog finds the president in a dire situation a mere two weeks before Election Day. Allegations that the president groped a Firefly girl on a Whitehouse tour are sure to hand the election over to Sen. John Neal. Conrad Brean (DeNiro), A political "Mr. Fix-It," is promptly brought into the picture, and he decides to distract the media with a fictitious war in Albania. He and Winifred Ames (Heche), the presidential advisor, delegate the fabrication of the war to a famous but eccentric and self-pitying producer, Stanley Motts (Hoffman). As they use all types of propaganda including film, music, and catchy slogans, the trio tumbles further into the abyss of corruption, continuing with more propaganda, but the public buys it. Wag the Dog boasts a first-class cast. DeNiro shines in his role; he is sometimes so great at his job of hiding the truth that even his co-workers are unclear about what's real. Hoffman surprisingly deviates from his usual sober, intense roles. His amazing talent gives life to his egotistical attitude and his constant declarations of power as producer. The movie's witty screenplay is especially potent in its ability of making jabs at the government. Brean says, "We haven't declared war since WWII. We're going to war." While it is amusing that the movie makes trivial items like shoes become symbolic of patriotism, the disturbing thing about Wag the Dog is that it hits dangerously close to home. The fact that the media can falsify footage that moves the country to tears shows its power over public sentiment. Truthfully, how smart is the American public? It also arouses suspicion because the movie preceded the actual bombing in Albania, which seemed similarly planned to deter attention focused on the Lewinsky scandal.
Trying to keep the Presidents name off the front page when he's been found to be groping a 13 year old just two weeks before an election demands the services of an extraordinary guy ( Robert de Niro). The answer?, war with Albania! ( does this give you folks a sense of deja vu?) Not a real war of course, a virtual, televisual war, designed to show the heroic qualities of the American Nation, The American Army ( listen for the hymn of praise to the "men of the 303") and, not least, the American President. A plot that, though labrynthine, never really loses it's way, and the combined efforts of everybody from De Niro and Dustin Hoffman to Willie Nelson ( yep!, Willie Nelson!) make this film the equivalent of the best-seller you can't put down, We cannot buy it in the UK, I suspect that Prime Minister feels that he owes enough to Bill to at least stop us getting our hands on THIS!!. Pity though, it's the best film of 1998 by a country mile.
Originaly a parody of the Lewinsky "situation," this movie has grown even more timely since its release. We are currently embroiled in a fake war that this movie definately saw coming: from manufactured heros that don't quite work out (whatever happened to Jessica Lynch anyways?) to theme songs ("Let the Eagle Soar," anyone?) to photo-op battles (the pulling down of Saddam's statue, with the American tanks off-camera so that it looked like it was being done by a mob of Iraqis). This is a very funny parody that is sometimes subtle, sometimes abrasive, but always hits its target dead on: whether it is the greasy advisors, the complacent news media, or the easily duped American public. Everyone should give it a watch before the next presidential election.
In the end, the movie has two great actors, Dustin Hoffman and Roberth DeNiro wasting their breath.
STEVEN TRAVERS | |
| 3. Young Sherlock Holmes Director: Barry Levinson | |
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The Acting is great, the story is great and the score is a classic, but the where this film truly shimes, at least for me, is the visual effects. Since this film was made before Computer Animation was widely used, there are a number of puppetry/stop action scenes that are amazing, as well as a computer animated stained glass knight. This movie is a must watch, all the way through the credits (which contains an excellent indulgent twist).
Barry Levinson's reimagining of Holmes' teenage years is an enjoyable - though inconsequential - work which blends old-fashioned British melodrama with the demands of a US summer blockbuster (Steven Spielberg is one of the co-producers), whilst simultaneously acknowledging its debt to previous Holmes movies (note the iconic 'shadow-on-cobblestones' during the opening credits, derived from a similar image featured in the Rathbone-Bruce movies of the 1940's). The script, by future director Chris Columbus (HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCEROR'S STONE), plays fair with audience expectations by setting Holmes on the trail of a shadowy villain who leaves a series of intriguing clues in his/her wake, and the entire production is sumptuously designed (by Norman Reynolds) and photographed (by Stephen Goldblatt). Vivid set-pieces include a number of frightening hallucinations suffered by the 'suicide' victims before they die (parents of younger children, take note), and there's a major plot development at the VERY END of the film. Of the younger cast members, only Cox makes much of an impression, playing Watson as a decent, loyal friend prone to juvenile weaknesses (in particular, a fondness for custard tarts!), while Sophie Ward is unable to make much of an underwritten role as Holmes' first - and only - sweetheart. Rowe's performance as Holmes lacks the zest and dynamism that might have lifted the movie out of the ordinary, and his blank-faced, emotionless characterization is the single most disappointing aspect of the entire production, though the supporting cast of familiar British thesps (including Freddie Jones, Anthony Higgins, Susan Fleetwood and Roger Ashton-Griffiths) does much to fill the void in Rowe's wake. Look out for some interesting names in the credits, including animatronics supervisor Stephen Norrington (later the director of BLADE and THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) and computer animation technician John Lasseter (director of TOY STORY and A BUG'S LIFE). The print used for Paramount's DVD has a few stray speckles, and part of the image seems to 'flicker' slightly, easily spotted on larger monitors during stationary shots (cf. the shot at 00:05:30, particularly on the right hand side), but this visual blemish won't even register for most viewers. Sound quality is excellent, with extensive use of surrounds, though bass is somewhat lacking in the 5.1 version. There are no extras, not even a trailer. 108m 44s | |
| 4. Diner Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Description Reviews (34)
Diner takes place in Baltimore in the 1950s and tells the story of five young men hanging onto their high school antics by the skins of their teeths while coming to terms with fast-approaching adult responsibilities. College, work, marriage, and responsibility in general threaten the quality time they spend hanging out at the Diner, discussing "What's on the B-Side?" and "Who's better: Sinatra or Mathis?" (The answer, of course: "Presley"). The film's laughs originate from its good ear for dialogue and the fantastic acting, which at times appears to be improvised. The film's young actors include Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, and Steve Guttenberg in the collective high point of their careers. A thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud masterpiece.
I decided to watch Diner again recently, since I had little recollection of it. Given all of its critical acclaim and somewhat cult-status, I'd say I felt just a little let down. Really, I do mean a little: I think part of the reason for all of the accolades is that the film's "free-form" style was somewhat groundbreaking in 1982. It has been done better several times since then. Overall, I'd say this is a solid, entertaining film. Great? Nah.
Boogie (Micky Rourke), his gambling problems aside, struggles to keep his dreams but must learn to accept the responsibilities of life. The intellectual but alcohol-plagued Fenwick (Kevin Bacon) must face-down his crusty, aloof family once and for all. Shreevie (Daniel Stern) must learn to translate his love for love songs for love for his wife before his marriage completely evaporates. Mama's boy (with a twisted mama), Eddie, (Steve Guttenburg) who has no real excuse for treating his fiancee so badly, is the most desperate in need of growing up. To me, Billy (Timothy Daly) has the most poignant of all problems. He's willing to face up to his responsibility; he's willing to do the right thing. In one scene, where he decks the last opposing player of a baseball team that had ganged up on him, he essentially has put his boyhood behind him. What's standing in his way is the woman carrying his child but won't marry him. (She has good reason, by the way, for being reluctant.) But comedy is watching other people struggle with their problems, after all. To me, the more believeable the problems (and they are believeable) the more effective the comedy. Levinson squeezes so much humor out of these characters, and the actors deliver beautifully. The ease with which the cast interacts makes the viewer wonder whether they had been friends for years before making this film. Unlike other comedies of the early 80s--the infamous one-liners strung together--DINER's tangle of plot lines grows logically; it progresses as a result of the characters, not the situation. And while the film ends, according to true comic convention, with a wedding, it is the only traditional aspect of the film. It was truly unique for its time. And perhaps the time will come again when people will appreciate the value of this movie.
The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars is because the film itself was made fairly well. It did have a 1950's atmosphere, but other than that, I was highly disappointed. ... Read more | |
| 5. Bandits Director: Barry Levinson | |
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The cast is great, with Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett, and Billy Bob Thornton.The highlight of the movie is deffiantly billy Bob Thornton.He works magic, and is laugh out loud funny.I rarely laugh at movie, but i laughed very much at this one. The ending has been used before, but it still works well. Bandits is rated PG-13 for LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, AND SOME SEXUAL CONTENT.If you want to laugh, go see this.
However, to me, whether you like "Bandits" or not wholly depends on the idea of 'gentleman outlaw in modern times.' If you can't buy the idea of two bank robbers sleeping over at prospective target's house, our interest in film soon dies. Outlaws such as Black Bart, Butch & Sundance, or Plunkett & Macleane all lived in the past. I wish crinimals could be so gentle and charmimg when I have to meet one. But I just can't believe it, having seen too much of Tarantino. Sorry.
Beginning, appropriately enough, with a bank robbery, the film then segues into the past, where a TV news reporter is being held hostage and forced to do an interview with Joe Blake and Terry Collins (Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton), known as the Sleepover Bandits. From there, the remembrance of events goes even further, to the day that Joe and Terry escaped prison in a cement truck and began a robbing spree devoid of violence... who needs violence when you have comedy, right? Wrong. The film possesses a small amount of comedic charm, which only begins to pick up once they are joined by repressed housewife Kate Wheeler (Cate Blanchett), whose husband seems more intent on having her as a dutiful wife than as a lover. She immediately takes a liking to Joe, but complications soon cross their path. Dissention soon sets in, and the movie seems intent to draw out moments that should have some emotional meaning, but are surprisingly flat. The cast for "Bandits" is first rate, no doubt, but that may be one of the things wrong with it. Both Willis and Thornton give credible performances, even though Thornton's character is constantly irritating and becomes a pest, and Willis's subtle humor goes by without so much as a chuckle. Blanchett, as always, shines beyond measure, playing the housewife-gone-bandit to perfection. It is my belief that the film relies heavily on their talents, so much in fact that it loses focus from other key elements of the film. That's not to say that "Bandits" doesn't possess a good story; the plot behind the cast borderlines on entertaining us, but never seems to take off as it should, as it trips over its own style of recollection storytelling. Perhaps this premise may have had more effect on me had there been any reason to develop an interest in it, but with the absence of humor on any level, and increasing twists that serve to add to an already lengthy running time, there's nothing of interest throughout much of the film. A surprise ending, predictable yet enjoyable, cannot save "Bandits" from suffering under its own weight. Those of you who have seen the trailer would do better to enter the movie five minutes before it ends; for those of you who haven't, take this as fair warning. One almost wishes that the performances of Willis, Thornton and Blanchett could be extracted and grafted into another, more pleasing experience. But so it goes. ... Read more | |
| 6. Good Morning, Vietnam Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (34)
However, the fault of this movie is where it tries to be serious. Williams's politics are thinly veiled, as the only people who oppose anything he does (VC's, bully GI's, "the brass") are stereotypes. Nothing Haup or Dickerson say or do is ever pleasant or reflective of any redeeming qualities whatsoever. In addition, after picking oneself up from the floor from laughing at Williams's brilliant jokes, one can step back and understand (empathize?) why people might not have liked such comments as "If it's being done well, here or abroad, it's probably *not* being done by the U.S. Army!" Now, maybe that's true, maybe it's not, but a lot of people work (and worked) very hard to be sure that what the U.S. Army did is/was done well, and these people wouldn't be the jerks that Dickerson and Haup (sp?) are in this film if they took offense to a deejay like Williams's portrayal of Cronauer. In short, watch this movie and enjoy the humor, but think twice before taking any sort of "deeper meaning" more seriously.
I found myself giggling at the jokes, but eventually the comedy all had a certain sameness. However, I did get into the story. There wasn't much military action, only some strong hints of what was to come. Wisely, the film focused on the characters and portrays the Vietnamese villagers as real people who Cronauer teaches to curse in American slang and with whom he plays baseball, using mangos as the ball. This is a good video, lighthearted and yet with a message. Robin Williams' performance is excellent. And, although some of the action was a little too slow for my taste and the comedy ran thin early, I still do give it a good recommendation.
The new DJ in question was Adrian Cronauer; fresh from an assignment in Greece. While the idea for a fictionalized account of his Vietnam experience was Cronauer's own, fueled by the popularity of "M*A*S*H," the script for Barry Levinson's "Good Morning Vietnam" was ultimately penned by screenwriter Mitch Markowitz with only some input from Cronauer himself, who has since gone out of his way to underline the fictional nature of the account and stress that his true stance was not so much anti-military as "anti-stupidity." Thus, the film has to be taken with a considerable grain of salt; both as far as the portrayal of 1960s' armed forces radio and as far as the movie's plot is concerned. But that doesn't make it any less poignant; nor does it take away one iota of Robin Williams's performance as Cronauer: Indeed, the role of an irreverent, unstoppable DJ seemed tailor-made for Williams, who had burst onto the scene with his inimitable brand of lightning-quick ad-libbing ten years earlier in "Mork & Mindy" - and of course, all of Cronauer's hilarious broadcasts in this movie are ad-libbed, too. The film follows Adrian Cronauer from his arrival in Saigon in the spring of 1965 to his forced departure about a half year later (although the real Cronauer in fact stayed for a year and was not forced out but left when his regular tour of duty was over). While a comedy, and although not trying to be anywhere near the "definitive" take on Vietnam, it does take a close look at the year when the conflict escalated and, in particular, at the resulting toll on human relations. Robin Williams earned his first of to date four well-deserved Academy Award nominations for this role (the others were for "Dead Poets Society" [1989], "The Fisher King" [1991] and "Good Will Hunting" [1997], the movie for which he finally scored on Oscar night). And in his inimitable way he provides pointed comic relief not only over the microphone but also, and always with a unique ear for the situation's mood, whenever the script would otherwise threaten to veer off into melodrama; such as after his discovery that his Vietnamese friend Tuan is actually a Viet Cong fighter named Phan Duc To ("It's unbelievable. Five months in Saigon, and my best friend turns out to be a V.C. This will not look good on a resume!!"); and in scenes that would otherwise be burdened with a bit too much cliche and/or deliberately funny writing, such as the conference after Cronauer's first broadcast, where Bruno Kirby (Lieutenant Hauk) gets to deliver such gems as "Don't say that the weather is the same all the time here, because it's not; in fact, it's two degrees cooler today than yesterday" and "I hate the fact that you people never salute me - I'm a lieutenant, and I would like salutes occasionally. That's what being a higher rank is all about." Even if Kirby himself gets to make up for these a little later in the same scene with the comment "We are not going to escalate [Vietnam into] a whole war so we can get a big name comedian" (Bob Hope who, as the men have informed him, does not "play police actions"), it takes Williams's/Cronauer's final weaving of the lieutenant's preferred abbreviations into a single sentence to truly put the finishing touch on the scene. Although "Good Morning Vietnam" is clearly first and foremost a star vehicle for Robin Williams, he is joined by an outstanding supporting cast, including inter alia, besides Bruno Kirby, Forest Whitaker as Cronauer's good-natured sidekick PFC Montesque Garlick, the ever-reliable J.T. Walsh as his second great nemesis, Sergeant Major Dickerson (whose stock character of a straight-laced white middle class guy would probably not have come off convincingly as a villain vis-a-vis anybody *but* Robin Williams) and, in particular, Tung Thanh Tran as Tuan and Chintara Sukapatana as his sister Trinh: Her plea with Cronauer not (even) to seek her friendship, let alone more, because for her such an association with a man (particularly a foreigner) is culturally unacceptable, is one of the movie's most quietly powerful scenes. Exceptional is further Peter Sova's cinematography, which convincingly captures the daily realities of a city and a country on the brink of an all-out war, and is brilliantly complimented by the editing, which in turn also uses the soundtrack - more or less a mid-1960s "greatest hits" compilation - to maximum effect; be it in framing daily military routine, the soldiers' enjoyment of Cronauer's style of broadcasting or combat action: Indeed, hardly any image could make a more powerful statement on the cruel absurdity of war than seeing a village blown up to the tune of Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World." Thus, "Good Morning Vietnam" is in its own way as poignant a wakeup call as any other movie about Vietnam - or about World War II, or any other war for that matter. It deservedly netted the Political Film Society's 1989 Peace Award, in addition to Robin Williams's Oscar nomination and his Golden Globe and American Comedy awards, as well as the movie's ASCAP soundtrack award. And it certainly bears revisiting - for its overall quality, for Robin Williams's performance, and also for lessons learned and deserving never to be forgotten. ... Read more | |
| 7. Sleepers Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Such an extraordinary tale was always going to be controversial, of course, and so it proved. Upon release, book and film drew immediate fire from critics who accused author and filmmakers of embellishment and exaggeration, since no records could be found to prove that the trial depicted in the film ever took place within the Manhattan district, or that the Wilkinson Home for Boys ever existed - even though Carcaterra's book (and Levinson's script) makes it clear that most of the names, dates and locations have been changed or fictionalized to protect those involved, and that the records of all children held in institutions like Wilkinson are routinely deleted after seven years. Further scandal ensued when the movie ignited protests from those who believed the story drew unfortunate parallels between pedophilia and homosexuality, thereby reinforcing the worst kind of homophobic stereotype. The point is certainly valid, given Hollywood's shameful mistreatment of gay themes and characters over the years, but "Sleepers" doesn't seek to draw any kind of parallels, unconsciously or otherwise, merely to recreate events described in Carcaterra's book. Besides, monsters are monsters, whoever their victims may be. As a movie, "Sleepers" is competent, briskly paced, and beautifully acted by a dream cast of old pro's (including Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman in key roles) and a new generation of rising stars. It's an ensemble piece, and the lack of grandstanding - in favor of narrative momentum - is admirable. But while the film is consistently intelligent and engaging, it's drawbacks are significant: The kids are terrific, especially Perrino, but the adults are burdened by the gravity of the subject matter, and Patric's sombre narration seems a little too laidback at times, lacking warmth or even genuine emotion, while John Williams' rambling score clashes resolutely with the film's epic visual sweep. Also, for obvious reasons, the moviemakers were unable to depict the kind of sexual atrocities outlined in the original book, with unfortunate consequences: Here, Nokes' murder seems more like the result of a petulant outburst by a couple of thugs, rather than the inevitable outcome of horrendous physical abuse. And during the subsequent trial, it defies belief that the prosecution's key witness - a former guard at Wilkinson - would incriminate himself so readily on the stand, as depicted here. That said, however, the movie is still a worthwhile erntry, but the book is better. Warner Bros.' region 1 DVD - one of their first releases on this newfangled disc format - runs exactly 147:00 and is spread over two sides in a manner that wouldn't be acceptable today. The glorious Super 35 compositions are preserved in letterbox format (a little overmatted at 2.40:1), anamorphically enhanced, though the 5.1 Dolby soundtrack is fairly subdued, selling the drama without drawing too much attention to itself. There's a trailer and brief cast biographies, along with English captions and subtitles. Missing from this print is a brief intertitle which originally appeared before the closing credits, outlining some of the criticisms levelled against Carcaterra's original account.
The most interesting character in the movie by far is Father Bobby (De Niro), a 'cool' priest who is as comfortable beating up an abusive father as preaching. There's Fat Mancho who gives out street wisdom to kids; Danny Snyder (Dustin Hoffman), the lawyer who mutters as if to himself in court. These characters keep the movie interesting. The boys themselves, however, have little individuality. And like all coming-of-age movies (American Graffiti, Stand By Me, October Sky) there has to be oldies playing, and the number of boys has to be 4. Young Carol is an underdeveloped character whom the director expects the audience to remember later on. The prison guards (Kevin Bacon, Terry Kinney) do what the plot expects them to do, and King Benny provides simple mob flick entertainment. The grown-up boys developed some characters but, ironically, even with the Monte Christo plot, one cannot help but get the sense that the boys, whose lives would have otherwise been very unextraordinary, were saved by the dramatic event.
However, Levinson has created a masterpiece, and a film that everyone should watch. Sleepers might've not been the most eloquent courtroom drama, and the tactics used might be unrefined, but I absolutely loved it. It showed the consequences of prison guards' sadism, which affected the boys for the rest of their lives. All the actors give mindblowing performances, with no conceivable weak link. This includes the four child actors, who dominate half of the movie, but obviously don't receive as much press as their older counterparts. These four kids were outstanding in roles that must have been truly harrowing to play, especially the young boy who played John. Even Brad Pitt shows that under the right direction he can be more than a candy face. Add to this a great score from John Williams, and you will come back to this film time and time again. The DVD has great features too so in all a very worthy purchase. ... Read more | |
| 8. Tin Men Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Every story needs conflict, and this one begins with a minor traffic accident between Danny Devito, and Richard Dreyfuss's characters. Both are "Tin" salesmen who drive Cadillac's, because they believe it will impress their customers. As the battle of pettiness wages between these two men, we get to peer into their everyday lives. The battle escalates to the point of great humor, but never goes over the line, to hatred and cruelty. Barbara Hershey plays Devito's long-suffering wife, who is romanced by Richard Dreyfuss's character BB. It's an attempt by him to gain the ultimate revenge. While I won't reveal the plot here, suffice it to say it does not turn out the way he thinks. This is a movie you should see during a quiet time. I had originally watched it when I was distracted at college, and got almost nothing from it. I couldn't even remember much of the movie, and didn't think I liked it. Later, when a friend rented it, I saw it in a calmer state, and I realized it was a great movie. The score is excellent, blending songs by Fine Young Cannibals, with Frank Sinatra and others. The backdrop is 1960s Baltimore, and it presents a time in America, rarely presented in a period piece. When I try to explain why I like this film to others, it seems next to impossible. It's just a finely crafted film about ordinary people, which leaves you with a good feeling when it's done.
You know from the start that you're in for something special -- the very title sequence is beautiful. The whole movie is eye candy, in fact, with some of the richest colors I've ever seen on screen. The yellows, the blues... And the costumes! Check out what Nora's wearing when B.B. visits her at work. It's a romantic comedy -- B.B., out for revenge, steals Tilley's wife Nora but falls in love with her, not at all what he was after (his partner, Moe, asks if he's never spent consecutive nights with a woman before, and B.B. responds, "Have we met?"). It's a great plot, and a great script with lots of background. There are four scenes in this movie that stand up with anything I've ever seen in a movie: B.B. and Nora in the social security office; B.B. and Nora in the rain; Tilley and Nora on the porch; and B.B. and Nora having breakfast. Nora, the central character, is played by Barbara Hershey, whom I adore. B.B. is Richard Dreyfus, whom I detest -- except in Tin Men. He is just as right here as he is wrong in every other movie I've seen him in. The secondary characters are also brilliant, especially Bruno Kirby. This is the movie that turned me on to Bruno Kirby.
Recommended B ... Read more | |
| 9. Toys Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (58)
Robin Williams is Leslie Zevo. His father is Kenneth Zevo, founder of Zevo Toys, a factory that doesn't so much exist in a town but in the middle of its own world. Zevo is old and dying and played by the legendary Donald O'Connor. (His funeral scene creates a nice little laugh until I remembered that O'Connor himself passed away a few months ago.) Kenneth Zevo must hand over control of his factory, but feels that his son Leslie isn't ready for this job. And his daughter Al-Sashia (Joan Cusack) isn't, well you find out at the end of the film. So he turns the factory over to his brother General Zevo (Michael Gambon) of the U.S. Army. General Zevo clearly doesn't want the job, but the Army isn't the way he remembers it. He is the kind of soldier who would shoot a fly with his .45 sidearm instead of using a fly swatter. That creates a nice laugh, but in a really funny scene he goes to visit his father, who never tires of humiliating hiis son by showing how he outranks him. What to do? He tours the factory in a sequence that demonstrates again and again the visual wonder of this world. But this isn't his world. He begins to think that there may be a market in the world of war toys, but Willaims and everyone else at the company feels that it isn't the company's style. General Zevo comes up with an idea. The only reason I can reveal this idea is to explain how the film goes off the rails. The company will manufacture miniature toys armed with real bullets, missiles, and bombs. They will be controlled by children who think they are playing videogames and scoring points. When his scheme is discovered by Williams and Cusack they find themselves running through the factory pursued by the miniature war toys. Bullets are soon flying, explosions are going off, and everything leads to a battle between the evil war toys and the old innocent wind-up toys. It is here when my heart started to really sink. Why couldn't Barry Levinson come up with a more imaginative solution to stop the General than having innocent toys attack (and be blown to pieces) by war toys? Surely a movie with such imaginative setting could give us a payoff just as imaginative, couldn't it? Robin Williams was born to play this character. He is so convincing as a man who never seemed to grow up. Again and again he uses his gift for verbal improvisation that for once doesn't stop a film dead in its tracks. Joan Cusack displays a charming innocence that many times I don't always see. At the end the secret of who her character really is doesn't come across as a surprise. And there's a nice sweet romance between Williams and Robin Wright Penn as a new employee. And all during the opening, first act, and middle, is that wonderful look. The production designer Ferdinand Scafforeili was nominated for an Academy Award, and perhaps should have received a special achievement for it. So, TOYS has a magnificent extravagant look, terrific performances, and even some really sweet and delightful music (especially the opening song). But it doesn't have an imaginative conclusion or a good third act. I guess I will recommend this film. Its good qualities really are the price of admission. But ask yourself, what was that ending all about?
If ever there was a celluloid catalyst for shattering actor typecasts, this was it. Robin Williams' performance reveals a mostly unfamiliar vulnerable sincerity that, frankly, creeped me out a couple times throughout the story. Similarly, you have Joan Cusack at her most delicate and gently-spoken (with exception of course to the laughable observation she makes in regards to war being "the domain of a small..." so on and so forth). L.L. Cool J competently delivers the role of a convincingly clean, wholesome, family-valued military man caught between the warring factions of his own family, represented by a hawk (his own father, played by the appropriately casted Michael Gambon) and the dove (a perpetually juvenile Williams). Robin Wright Penn isn't given much of a stage in Toys, and consequently her performance is less than striking here. But to her credit, she nurses a few otherwise-forgettable scenes (particularly the overtly ad-libbed cafeteria scene with Williams) back to life with her disarming laugh and sincere attention. The trivia fanatics will keenly spot the underutilized, but aptly included cameos of Yeardly Smith and Jamie Foxx. I'm not a big movie fan, in fact I rent/buy movies reluctantly. But this one captivated me from square one and it's a hard one to let go of. Incidentally, I highly recommend the soundtrack. It's a musical revelation that does great honor to the film (with an outstanding and uncredited brief performance by the incomparable Seal). Chances are, anyone who's reading these reviews has already seen the movie; it's not a film that is naturally attracting new audiences this long after its making. However, I'm convinced this was due in monster proportions to the lack of popular exposure that Toys received, both initially in theaters and subsequently in it's video/DVD release. I, for one, happened to see Toys only by dumb luck, and have been grateful for walking into the theater ever since. But the minimal promotion that was afforded to Toys is all right by me. This is one cinematic secret I'm happy to be in on.
Six Millions Jews died in concentration camps during World War II. It took the combined forces of the free world to stop this genocide. Williams and the production company that made "Toys" are just closet nazis. Inasmuch as I watched this self-righteous piece of elitist garbage, I can say without any hesitation that if you believe that the world would be better off in the hands of some two-bit despot, then maybe you'll be stupid enough to accept the premise of this peice of unadulterated nonsense... By the way, I'm not runblader. I just agree with him.
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| 10. Rain Man (Special Edition) Director: Barry Levinson | |
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Reviews (78)
Dustin Hoffman is Raymond Babbitt, the titular character. Tom Cruise, in an excellent role that even impressed me (and I'm not at all a Tom Cruise fan) plays his conniving, selfish brother Charlie Babbitt. Thrown in the mix with them is the beautiful Italian actress Valeria Golino, who plays Cruise's compassionate girlfriend. You have to love this film! Why? Because of two men, Cruise and Best Actor winner Hoffman (winning his second award since 1979's KRAMER VS. KRAMER). They are what pulls us into their world, and keeps us there until the very end when Charlie sadly puts Raymond on a train back to the sanitorium. (I admit, as a man, I cried repeatedly during this scene -- and still do!) It begins with the death of the brothers' father, a rich man who was estranged from Charlie and never even spoken about Raymond. When he dies, Charlie is given a beautiful 1940s convertible (and his father's prize roses). Upon hearing that this brother of his has inherited their father's fortune, Charlie decides to find him and eventually "kidnap" him. His greedy selfishness is obvious from the first scene of the film. Eventually, his girlfriend has enough of this and leaves him alone with his brother. (She eventually comes back to him in Las Vegas.) During their cross-country journey, Charlie realizes how important having a brother is, citing that he always felt alone and that how happy he was to know that Raymond was his brother. Beautiful and human, yet not too sappy and saccharine! Even though Charlie proves to have an alterior motive for Raymond, you can't help but like the character (since he does provide some laughs). Cruise eventually plays the same character in 1996's JERRY MAGUIRE. And, of course, there's Hoffman! Virtually stealing every scene he is in. From his quips: "I'm an excellent driver" to his Abbott & Costello "Who's on First" bit, you can't help but fall in love with this silly, but poignant character. What also clinches the tears for me, other than the departing scene on the train, are the end credits. Yes, that's right, the credits! Here's why. Even notice that Raymond is taking pictures? If you do, then you should know that those are the pictures taken in the end credits. We're actually SEEING what Raymond is seeing; that, in itself, is heartbreaking! Think about that! And to the director, Barry Levinson, who would soon give us 1990's DINER and 1991's Oscar-nominated BUGSY, for showing us that even a family/buddy/road movie like this doesn't have to be an epic to win Best Picture. My hat's off to Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass for creating such a wonderful script! Bravo, gentlemen, you deserve it! RAIN MAN was the winner of 4 Academy Awards in 1988 for: Best Picture - Mark Gordon, producer; Best Director - Barry Levinson; Best Actor - Dustin Hoffman; and Best Original Screenplay - Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow. RUNNING TIME: 2 HOURS, 14 MINUTES.
Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman give highly-memorable and powerful performances in "Rain Man". Some of the moments in the movie that I find particularly memorable (and deserving of multiple replays whenever loading this up into the DVD Player) include these ............ > The first meeting between "Charlie" and "Raymond", when Charlie finds Ray behind the wheel of his rare 1948 automobile (excellent "first meeting" of these characters). > The "shorts on the highway" scene. > "Qantas never crashed". > The Blackjack scene in Vegas. > "I like having you for my big brother". This "SE" release of "Rain Man" includes an enhanced (anamorphic) 1.85:1 Widescreen version of the movie -- and it gets an A+ on my "PQ Report Card". The digital video is beautiful throughout, with radiant colors. The audio comes through loud and clear via the disc's bold English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround track. Two foreign-language DD tracks are also part of this DVD -- a 2.0 Surround in French, and a Spanish 2.0 Mono track. The DVD Special Features are a wee bit on the light side for a so-called "Special Edition". Although, if you like Audio Commentaries, you've come to the right place with this "Rain Man" DVD. Three separate filmmaker Commentary Tracks are featured on this one-disc "SE", including one by Director Barry Levinson. Other bonus material includes .......... >> Original Featurette. -- This short bonus is fairly thin on content, but does provide a few comments from stars Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise (circa 1988). Not much to sink your "Making Of" teeth into here though. The video for this featurette is Full Frame (1.33:1). Length = 6:55. .... It would have been nice to have had a feature-length "Making-Of" documentary included on this "SE" DVD. But, maybe next time. >> One Deleted Scene. -- I kind of liked this. This excised scene shows Raymond entering a convenience store, where he begins helping himself to the store's stock of food and beverages (to the dismay of the shop's proprietor). Charlie enters at the end of this short scene to "rescue" Raymond. It's a pretty good scene, but certainly not essential to the storyline; and I can see why it was cut. Especially considering the film's already-lengthy 134-minute final running time. This deleted clip lasts 2:01, and is presented in 1.33:1 Full-Frame ratio. >> Original Theatrical Trailer. -- A fun and funny trailer. Shown in 1.33:1. Run time -- 2:14. >> Photo Gallery. -- This Gallery (which *is* anamorphic) is broken up into five different segments. >> Bonus DVD Trailers. No "Chapter List" paper insert is included with this DVD. The case looks kind of bare without any insert, I must admit. But, starting in late 2003 (approx.), many studios began to go the "el-cheapo" route on us, and no longer provide physical paper enclosures inside the DVD cases anymore. Gee, you'd think a "Special Edition" release would at least warrant a slim, one-page insert. Oh, well...what are ya gonna do? No biggie really. But I'd still prefer to have an insert for all DVD releases (even if it's only an ad for other DVD products). Even with the rather skimpy selection of supplements here, this DVD still comes highly recommended by this "Rain Man" fan. The picture and sound quality are dazzling; and the film itself is ... well ... I'm sure you know ..... Oscar worthy! Get this today!
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