Road House (1989)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Rowdy Herrington

Cast: Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch

Running time: 114 minutes

The owner of a roughneck bar, The Double Deuce, in Missouri, wants to clean up the place before investing money in it. So, he hires James Dalton, a pro cooler, to be at the head of his staff of bouncers. After coming to town, Dalton soon realizes that things are as rough inside the bar as they are outside and he will have to contend with rich man Brad Wesley, who has a stranglehold on the whole town.

Let’s get things straight about this movie’s bad reputation with critics. Is this a great film? It certainly is not. The acting is often bad, some of the action scenes are totally unrealistic, much of the dialogue is bad and the ending is as corny and cheesy as they come. Yet, this flick has some charm. It is a guy movie. Lots of nudity (much of it female, except for a backside shot of Swayze), lots of fighting and some very good music, provided by The Jeff Healy Band; so, in spite of all its flaws, I cannot help enjoying myself when I watch this.

There are rumors of a remake starring Ronda Rousey, and I will be curious to see that if it sees the light of day. Let’s hope for some nudity on the Rowdy one’s part.

Rating: «««

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Scott Kalvert

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Mark Wahlberg

Running time: 104 minutes

This 1995 coming-of-age drama is the cinematic adaptation of the autobiographical memoir written by poet Jim Carroll, who was a great basketball player in high school. Unfortunately, Jim and his group of friends would more often than not get into trouble off the court and most of them ended up with a severe addiction to drugs, including heroin.

The Basketball Diaries, in film version, gives us a young Leonardo DiCaprio, still developing his chops as an actor. While he had potential, he was not there just yet. Though, he had given better performances before this movie, so it may have something to do with the director. After all, a more experienced actress such as Lorraine Bracco was also over-the-top and all over the place acting-wise. It was nice to also see a young Mark Wahlberg at work. You could also see that potential in him.

The storyline itself is compelling, but I don’t like the way it was brought to the screen. Lots of melodrama and unnecessary cheesiness; and, by the end of it, the filmmaker makes you wonder if this was truly real or just a theatrical performance.

Rating: ««

The Siege (1998)

Genre: Action / Thriller

Directed by: Edward Zwick

Cast: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis

Running time: 116 minutes

After a series of terrorist attack in the New York area, the US president declares Martial Law, under Major General William Devereaux. FBI special agent Anthony Hubbard and CIA agent Elise Kraft, who had been butting heads on the way to deal with these attacks, will now join forces to resolve the issue before the army’s presence makes matters much worse.

Denzel Washington gives a performance that is up to par for him in this film, but the performances given by both Annette Bening and Bruce Willis are both over-the-top and very disappointing.

As for the story itself, it is compelling enough, and still current, unfortunately. This is an OK film; not extraordinary or bad, just decent. Some good action, but some very lackluster acting.

Rating: «««

The Final Cut (2004)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Thriller

Directed by: Omar Naim

Cast: Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, Jim Caviezel

Running time: 95 minutes

In a world where a chip can be bought and implanted into your child’s brain to record everything he or she sees, cutters are very important people. Upon the person’s death, they are hired to edit these recordings and make a short film to be shown at the funeral. Alan Hakman is one of the best cutters in the business and he is known for handling controversial figures. Alan will remove these people’s bad deeds and make them look like saints. A former colleague of Alan comes back in the picture, asking him to hand over his latest case. Alan refuses, and, while he tries to fight off this intrusion into his work, a memory from his childhood comes back to haunt him.

With The Final Cut, there is some good and some bad.

First off, the storyline is very compelling and interesting. It will very likely spark some conversations about ethics if it is watched by a group of people. Also, I must praise Robin Williams’ performance. Over his career, while he was known for wild outbursts and over-the-top madness on screen, he could also show a lot of restraint. That’s what he did here, and, in the process, he made Alan Hakman feel very real.

As for the bad, Mira Sorvino did not raise her stock as an actress with me in this film. Man, she is such a bad actress. Also, as much as The Final Cut weaved an intriguing tale, the ending felt kind of flat for me, like it was unfinished.

All things considered, The Final Cut is an interesting, albeit flawed, movie.

Rating: «««

Failure to Launch (2006)

Genre: Romantic comedy

Directed by: Tom Dey

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel

Running time: 97 minutes

Tripp is a 35-year-old man in no hurry to move out of the family home. His parents, in an act of desperation, hire Paula to seduce and date their son. Paula’s job is to date men who won’t leave their parent’s house to boost up their self-esteem, in the hope that they will then be ready to venture out on their own.

The concept of someone dating somebody else under false pretenses only to have it backfire on the deceitful person has been done a thousand times in Hollywood. Despite the lack of originality and the improbable plot, Failure to Launch remains a somewhat entertaining comedy.

The two main actors are good enough in their respective roles here, but the highlights for me, acting-wise, are in the presence of Zooey Deschanel and Kathy Bates. I love these two actresses; both have a knack for making material better than it really is.

This 2006 comedy is not to be taken seriously. It is fun for what it was meant to be, and nothing more.

Rating: «««

Virginia (2010)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Dustin Lance Black

Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Emma Roberts

Running time: 116 minutes

Virginia is a mentally unstable woman raising her teenage son Emmett by herself in a small town. She has also been involved in a kinky affair for years with the town’s married sheriff, Dick Tipton. Things really go bad once Emmett starts dating Tipton’s teenage daughter, with plans to get hitched.

First off, Jennifer Connelly is brilliant in this film. Her performance is convincing to the max. Ed Harris is not so bad either. The problem is, the story is all over the map and then some. So many elements get piled on top of each other that it becomes a giant mess and the viewer cannot help but lose interest.

Overall, it is a great shame that Connelly’s excellent performance was wasted in such a bad film.

Rating: ««

Breathless (1983)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Jim McBride

Cast: Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky

Running time: 97 minutes

This remake of the 1960 Jean-Luc Godard Nouvelle Vague classic titled À bout de souffle tells the story of Jesse Lujack, a difter in Vegas who steals a car but ends up accidently killing a cop while trying to get away from the scene of his crime. Now on the run, he shacks up with a French UCLA student, Monica, he met earlier. He tries to convince her to run away to Mexico with him as soon as he gets the money owed to him.

Remaking and adapting a foreign film is not a crime in itself. It has been done and it can be done well. With Breathless, though, Jim McBride and collaborators squeezed all of the charm out of À bout de souffle and did not leave much to be appreciated.

Richard Gere is no Belmondo. He tries so hard at making his character cool that it becomes laughable. As for Valérie Kaprisky, she was absolutely horrible. I must say that the script did not help much.

The only good thing about 1983’s Breathless is the soundtrack. There are many good tracks on here. As for the rest, I recommend that people stick to the original, even if you have to watch it with subtitles or dubbed in English.

Rating: ««

À bout de souffle (1960)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Jean-Luc Godard

Distribution: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger

Running time: 89 minutes

Ce film emblématique de la Nouvelle Vague du cinéma français raconte l’histoire de Michel Polccard, une rebelle et un voyou. Michel vole une voiture à Marseilles et se rend à Paris, mais, lors d’un contrôle policier, il tue un gendarme. À Paris, il reprend contact avec une étudiante américaine, Patricia, avec qui il a eu une liaison. Il essaie de la convaincre de coucher à nouveau avec lui et de l’accompagner dans son voyage vers l’Italie, où il veut se réfugier loin des policiers, qui sont à ses trousses. Toutefois, avant de partir, Michel doit récupérer de l’argent qui lui est dû, et c’est plus compliqué que prévu. En plus, Patricia est ambivalente et hésite à le suivre.

Ce film nous montre un jeune Belmondo au sommet de sa forme et de sa virilité primale. Il transperce l’écran dans le rôle de Michel Polccard. Même s’il joue un voyou et un mécréant, on ne peut s’empêcher de lui souhaiter de s’en sortir. Jean Seberg est aussi excellente dans le rôle de Patricia.

À bout de souffle est le premier long métrage réalisé par Jean-Luc Godard. Les scènes sont tournées avec une caméra instable et le montage est fait en plan sur plan. Cela donne une action très effrénée, ce qui rend le tout hyper intéressant.

Ce film de Godard demeure une œuvre cinématographique importante qui mérite d’être vue au moins une fois dans une vie.

Rating: «««««

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan

Number of seasons: 9

In 2030, Ted Mosby sits down with his two teenage kids to tell them the story of how he met their mother. Yes, a show with such a thin premise lasts nine seasons. While this is a quite an exercise in stretching things out, the bigger feat here is that the makers of this sitcom managed to create a very entertaining show. Ted’s story is basically an excuse to tell his kids about his life as a young adult with his group of friends in Manhattan.

First off, How I Met Your Mother is well written. The dialogues are often funny, sometimes touching. Also, the characters are easy to get attached to; they are well defined, interesting, and easy to root for or against. And the written material is delivered brilliantly by a talented cast of actors. Some of them I knew before, others were discoveries for me, which is always fun. The highlight of the show for me, acting-wise, is Neil Patrick Harris, in the role of Barney Stinson. To see an openly gay actor play a womanizer so well is something to see. While his character is very flawed and easy to hate, Harris manages to make him loveable.

Over the course of nine seasons, it is a given that some episodes will miss the mark. That being said, many are absolutely legen…(wait for it)…dary. While I felt something weird was in the works with the ending, I was still put off a bit when it came. I feel like the makers of this show tried to get a little too cute and swervy with people. Nonetheless, all things considered, How I Met Your Mother is a very good sitcom that I highly recommend.

  

Rating: ««««

Breathless (2012)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jesse Baget

Cast: Gina Gershon, Val Kilmer, Kelli Giddish, Ray Liotta

Running time: 92 minutes

Lorna is a Texas housewife who shoots and kills her husband Dale in front of her friend Tiny while trying to get him to confess to robbing the local bank. She now has to find a way to dispose of the body and finding the money without getting caught by the authorities.

Jesse Baget, who cowrote and directed this film, was trying to be really funny and smart with Breathless; it was a total fail. Not even the talented cast on hand could save this one. It is clichéd, it is silly; in short, it is a total waste of time. There is a nice twist at the end, but even that is not worth the pain of watching this flick.

Rating: «

Tootsie (1982)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Sydney Pollack

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr

Running time: 116 minutes

Michael Dorsey is a New York actor who is a perfectionist to a fault. His reputation as a man difficult to work with precedes him and he is having a hard time finding acting jobs. In an act of desperation, Michael goes for a soap opera audition dressed like a woman and he gets the gig. With a paying job now on the line, he has to keep the subterfuge going, but it becomes more and more difficult.

Films such as Tootsie are a rare breed. With this 1982 comedy, director Sydney Pollack manages to juggle multiple genres and styles without creating any confusion in the process. There is some silliness in this movie, but there is also a serious look at the issue of sexism. There is also a lot of sweetness in there. I find it hard to believe that all these people were fooled about Tootsie really being a man, but, I guess, one has to suspend disbelief a bit.

Dustin Hoffman is as solid as he usually is in the title role. Anytime you see him on screen, he makes you forget the actor and he makes you believe in his character. The supporting cast is also very good.

Overall, this is one of those great movies that need to be seen at least once in a lifetime, if not more.

Rating: «««««

Jim Jefferies: FreeDumb (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Cast: Jim Jefferies

Running time: 76 minutes

In his latest comedy special, titled FreeDumb, Jim Jefferies discusses such topics as Bill Cosby, the work of a comedian, the link between vaccines and autism, Jenny McCarthy, his family, politics and much more.

The Australian stand-up comic doesn’t hold back when it comes to delivering his edgy material the way he always has. My only issue is he spends a little bit too much time trying to explain that these are just jokes. I get it, and a lot of other people do; those who cannot take it: Screw them! I also feel like Jefferies stretched out the last part of his show too much. I get that some comedians want to finish their show by making a point. That is perfectly fine, as long as it is concise. At least, some solid points were made, so I am in a forgiving mood.

Overall, FreeDumb is a very good, laugh-out-loud comedy special that is well worth watching. Not as good as Bare, another show of Jefferies available on Netflix, but it is still solid material. The bit on Bill Cosby was plain awesome, and the same goes for the vaccination jokes.

Rating: ««««

Fifteen & Pregnant (1998)

Genre: Drama / TV

Directed by: Sam Pillsbury

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Park Overall, David Andrews

Running time: 96 minutes

This made-for-TV drama, inspired by a true story, tells the tale of Tina, a 15-year old girl who becomes pregnant after having sex for the first time. Her beau bails, and Tina’s parents, who had separated, will have to work together to help their teenage daughter through these difficult times.

Fifteen & Pregnant has all the ingredients of an after school special. It deals with controversial issues, like teenage pregnancy and abortion, in a very cheesy and clichéd way. Everything ends in a cute little box, with a bow on it. As my wife said, it would be something else to see the years that followed for these characters. The acting, while not horrible, was nothing special. Kirsten Dunst had potential, which she would showcase later.

Fans of this kind of kitsch deal will dig this one. That was not my case. Some things were cute and made me laugh, so I will give this movie a bit of props for that.

Rating: ««

Intruders (2011)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Cast: Clive Owen, Carice von Houten, Ella Purnell

Running time: 100 minutes

A little boy and a teenage girl, both living in different countries, are both haunted at night by a dark creature called Hollow Face. What is the link between these two kids and who is this creature?

This Spanish film is meant to be a horror flick, but it fails miserably at being remotely scary. It is simply long, boring and painful to watch. There is a nice twist at the end that I did not expect, but the road there was so tough to endure that I did not care by that point. It is too bad, as I like Clive Owen as an actor, but his talent is poorly utilized here.

Pass!

Rating: «

Stolen (2012)

Genre: Action / Thriller

Directed by: Simon West

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Danny Huston, Malin Akerman

Running time: 112 minutes

When a New Orleans bank heist goes wrong, Will Montgomery is left behind by his partners in crime. Will is arrested by the FBI and spends eight years in jail, but the 10 million dollars that were stolen are never found. Will maintains that he burned the cash before getting caught, so as to reduce his sentence. After his release, the authorities still believe the money is out there, and so does Vincent, one of Will’s former colleagues. Vincent kidnaps Will’s young daughter, threatening to kill her if his old friend does not bring the money.

Just like most of the films Nicolas Cage has been in as of late, this is your generic action flick. It is such a disappointment, as he used to be absolutely great. Not so much anymore. Here, his performance feels phoned in and totally uninspired.

The action scenes are so over-the-top, which is something that is harder to forgive when the acting is subpar. I heard myself say “Oh, common” over and over again. When the other elements (acting, great story, etc.) are not there to compensate, that will take you right out of the movie.

If you really want a good action thriller movie, there are some great ones out there. I would not bother with this one.

Rating: «

All of Me (1984)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Carl Reiner

Cast: Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Victoria Tennant

Running time: 112 minutes

Roger Cobb is nearing the age of 40 and he is finally deciding to give up his aspirations as a jazz musician to concentrate on his career as a lawyer. He is sent by his boss to the house of dying millionaire Edwina Cutwater, who is preparing to have her soul transferred into the body of a young woman, who will in turn inherit all of Edwina’s fortune. Roger does not believe in the sanity of this plan, but, when the process goes awry, Edwina’s soul ends up in his body. Those two very different people will have to live closely together until the problem can be fixed.

In itself, the premise of this fantasy comedy is more than a little silly. But, with Carl Reiner’s direction, and with the chemistry between Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin, it works. The two experienced comedic actors worked so well off – or into, actually – each other that what could have easily become a total slapstick mess was made quite good.

All of Me is a fun comedy meant to entertain. One has to suspend disbelief and go on for the ride. If you can manage to do that, you will enjoy yourself very much.

Rating: ««««

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: George Cukor

Cast: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart

Running time: 112 minutes

Tracy Lord is a demanding woman. She used to be married to C.K. Dexter Haven, but she left him because he did not measure up in her book. As she is about to marry another man, her former spouse comes back in the picture, bringing with him a reporter and a photographer for Spy magazine, who are sent to cover the nuptials. To protect her father’s and her family’s reputation, Tracy reluctantly agrees to this intrusion into her private life.

As far as loaded casts go, for that era of cinema, you cannot find much better than Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart. They were all at the top of their game and very good in their respective roles.

The Philadelphia Story is a very funny romantic comedy, with some good wit to it. The cast is as solid as it gets, and the story is compelling. Considering the subject matter and the presence of a strong female character, this one was way ahead of its time.

Rating: «««««

The Untouchables (1987)

Genre: Historical / Thriller

Directed by: Brian De Palma

Cast: Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery

Time: 119 minutes

This 1987 historical gangster film is inspired by the battle waged by Government Agent Eliot Ness and his group of Untouchables against crime boss Al Capone, who had taken control of the distribution of illegal alcohol in Chicago during Prohibition.

Considering the cast involved here, I should have enjoyed this movie a little more. I mean, Robert De Niro remains one of my favorite actors. Here, as Al Capone, he is overall very lackluster and ordinary in his performance. Same goes for Sean Connery; the out-of-place accent did not help either. As for Kevin Costner, while I sometimes find him good, he is not one of my favorites. It may also be a case of personal perception affecting my appreciation of Costner’s performance. I find it hard to root for a character such as Eliot Ness as a great hero fighting on the side of Prohibition. It goes against the grain for me.

I found some of the action scenes in The Untouchables very laughable in the way they were carried out on screen; in a gangster film, that is not the desired effect.

Overall, this film had its moments, but, for me, they were few and far between.

Rating: ««

Religulous (2008)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Larry Charles

Cast: Bill Maher

Time: 101 minutes

In this documentary, comedian and TV personality Bill Maher travels around the world to explore various religions and talk to their believers. Over the course of 101 minutes, Maher discusses Christians, Muslims, Hasidic Jews, Mormons, Scientologists and more.

First off, if you are a fervent religious person and religion is a very sensitive subject for you, you might want to stay away from Religulous. As you would sense from the title, this is not an essay on the virtues of religion.

I will give Maher credit: He does seem to have a lot of knowledge about the subject matters he is criticizing, which gives the whole thing a lot more weight. Yes, the point of view is one-sided, but that is what documentaries usually here: You pick a point of view and you run with the ball.

I absolutely loved this documentary. It made me laugh out loud abundantly. While I am not a very religious person, religion is a subject I find interesting, especially when it comes to studying the people involved, Religulous offers a good dose of just that.

Rating: «««««