One of the primary purposes of this site is to alert movie watchers to some of the lesser known gems out there at their local video stores. However, conversely, I am glad to see some of the more popular and just released movies being reviewed as well, so that we can all have just that much more information as we make our viewing decisions. I doubt most reviews as either pandering to big stars for the ignorant masses or those alternative newspapers' "I hate everything that isn't an art house film with subtitles" snobby elitism.
As a busy young professional, I value my entertainment time as a great escape from my work schedule. Most of the films below pull you into renting them with their all star casts, but leave you at the end wishing that you had gotten those two extra hours of sleep instead.
Let's call this entry...Don't Waste Your Time, or Great Stars, Crappy Films.
The Heist Gene Hackman, Danny Devito I love Gene Hackman, and I was embarrassed for him in this movie. He's great as a good ol' boy cop or as a corrupt government official, but he just seemed uncomfortable as this con man with a gorgeous young wife (Annabella Sciorra, who I swear can act better than this). This movie has a RIDICULOUS plot, which leaves you hoping at the end simply that no more twists means the movie is over. I didn't care who got the goods; I just wanted to go to bed.
Vanilla Sky Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz This much over-hyped film begins well enough if not a little talky. However, it soon lapses into way too many dream sequences and reversals. I mean, come on...any movie that has to spend several minutes explaining what has just happened for the last several minutes SUCKS! I like weird plot twists, but when movie makers don't let me figure out the twists, their background and rationale, I assume that they feel I'm too bourgeois to "get" their movie. The truth is more likely that the twists are so unrealistic and implausible that the film makers are compelled to rationalize their poor choices. These three absolutely gorgeous stars promise a high macho/Julia Roberts factor, but the movie fails to deliver the goods. The get lucky factor is only appealing for a short time, so if you get busy, you can get really lucky and miss the second half of the movie.
Spy Game Brad Pitt, Robert Redford I love Brad Pitt, and I'll watch him in just about everything. And like The Heist, I was at first amused by the espionage tricks and the old guy/new young gung ho punk relationship at work here. However, again, the plot twists quickly became contrived, and even though I saw this movie just a few weeks ago, I can't remember the ending, the overall message or the general plot line. When I asked my husband, he too drew a blank. What else can I say?
Last Castle Robert Redford, James Gandolfini I've confessed to being too analytical before, but come on....Why do Warren Beatty and Robert Redford subject us to their liberal rants disguised as movies? When they were young and sexy, they could get a way with it but now they just seem like 60s leftovers jealous that they're not still as sexy as Paul Newman, who by the way, helps the disadvantaged in this country a lot more by making salad dressing than making bad movies.
I usually like prison movies, but this isn't a good escape film like The Shawshank Redemption. Call me old-fashioned, but as I've said before, I like to root for the good guy, but the recent fad in movies, a result of post-modernism philosophy, is that no one is good. This movie tries to be anti-establishment, but comes off as pompous. I'm tired of people joining the military (like in the movie Tigerland) or being sent to prison when they're guilty, and then bitching about it. I appreciate film makers that have a message, but a little subtlety is nice also.
Oh well, I'm sure my message here was not subtle in its delivery or content, but I feel better.
