VideoJoeD Reviews

Because I Said So (2007)

Reminiscent of the NFL

[4/10 · 26 June 2007]

I could see some similarities between this film and the composition of an NFL football team. There are often valid comparisons to be made between real life situations and sporting world events and some valuable lessons which can be learned from these similarities. I was attracted to this romantic comedy by the presence of the two stars Dian Keaton and Mandy Moore. Keaton is capable of giving excellent dramatic performances, as exemplified by her roles in the "Godfather Trilogy" and equally fine comic performances as typified by her role in "Something's Gotta Give" but she occasionally accepts roles that she might have been wiser to reject. Two roles which immediately come to mind include this film and "Hanging Up". It's not the performance that she gives in each of these roles, that is so disappointing, but the quality of the material that she's been given to work with, which would likely hinder any performance.

The film industry and sports world comparison could be equated to a football team with two excellent running backs (Keaton and Moore) but an extremely weak offensive line (the script writers). A team with average running backs but a high quality offensive line, will most likely generate a good offense but even the best running backs will have trouble producing when running behind an inferior offensive line. The writers, in developing the script for this film, use many sight gags that you most likely will have seen several times before(cake in the face, animal appearing to drive car, etc.). That would be fine if these were mixed in with some fresh new comedy routines but that is not the case here. The writers seemed to feel that any situation that was sexually related, had to be funny. While it is true that some of the most hilarious comedy club routines revolve around sexually oriented jokes, the punch lines still need to be funny in order for the routine to be successful and that is usually not the case with this script. The fact that the character that Moore portrays, so unlike the character she played in "A Walk to Remember", seems to equate going to bed with a member of the opposite sex with shaking hands or some other type of greeting, only adds to the lack of sincerity and depth presented in the story line.

Many IMDb voters have awarded this film with a 10 rating. I had a very different opinion and feel that a rating of between 1 and 4 would be appropriate. I personally place it in the lower half of that range.

And Justice for All (1979)

The Pieces are all there!

[9/10 · 8 June 2007]

In my opinion, this movie has been somewhat underrated by a large number of IMDb voters. It has many of the ingredients which make up an intriguing and entertaining film. These essential pieces include a talented lead performer, a fine supporting cast, a good script with some emotional subject matter, some humorous elements, a touch of romance and some excellent courtroom drama. These individual components, which include some of my own personal favorites, combine to produce some rewarding entertainment for film lovers.

The film stars Al Pacino as a crusading defense attorney, who does his best to overcome an imperfect judicial system. Jack Warden provides uproarious support as a wise, but eccentric, judge who is involved in an abundance of the script's many humorous moments. John Forsythe portrays another judge, who provides absolutely no humor but is responsible for a large portion of the film's drama and suspense. Pacino fans will enjoy watching him try to outwit this morally corrupt and powerful member of the judiciary.

I could envision an IMDb voter rating somewhere between 6 and 10, based on the voter's perspective. I personally put it in the upper portion of that range.

The Bear (1988)

Intriguing Wildlife Adventure

[7/10 · 26 February 2007]

This outdoor wildlife drama, stars Jack Wallace and Tcheky Kayro as two nineteenth century trappers. The trappers share the spotlight with two bears that they encounter during one of their Pacific Northwest expeditions. The film examines the relationship between a young cub and a fully matured Grizzly. This is an excellent wildlife film which might be a little frightening at times for younger children, but includes many heartwarming scenes for parents and older children. Viewers who prefer limited dialog should love this film, which presents a substantial portion of the drama from the young Grizzly's prospective. The film which has several touching and humorous moments is highly recommended for family viewing, but keep in mind that it may not be suitable for younger children.

About Last Night (1986)

Living Together 101

[8/10 · 20 February 2007]

This romantic drama stars Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, who meet and fall in love early in the film and then take the viewers on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. This is a love story that provides several ups and downs as it moves through the peaks and valleys of the relationship. Jim Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins provide some humor in interacting with each other and the two stars. They discourage the relationship between their best friends at times and provide emotional support on other occasions. A romantic film that takes a serious look at both the advantages and pitfalls of two people in love moving in together. Belushi provides enough laughs to keep the story from becoming excessively dramatic. In my personal opinion, this movie has been under rated by IMDb voters and could be considered required viewing for young couples contemplating a similar situation.

Lady in the Water (2006)

One of the Few!

[1/10 · 14 February 2007]

A significant number of IMDb voters have assigned either a maximum 10 or minimum 1 rating to this film. I have viewed a couple of thousand films (not an exaggeration)over the years and would assign these extreme positive or negative values to fewer than 100 of these films. Unfortunately, this film is one that I have selected for an extreme negative rating. I was very disappointed with this rental. I normally try to avoid viewing films which I have any serious doubts about in theaters. I did have a few doubts about this film, but there were several reasons why I anticipated that I would find it entertaining even if I did not find it to be exceptional.

One reason, was the cast which was headed up by Paul Giamatti and also included Mary Beth Hurt. There are several films in which these stars displayed their considerable talents (Sideways, Cinderella Man, The World According to Garp, Compromising Positions, etc.) that I have enjoyed and which are also a part of my own personal film library. Another reason was the writer/director (M. Night Shyamalan) who also wrote and directed The Sixth Sense (which is also a part of my personal film library). Although both of these Shyamalan works project haunting surreal type atmospheres and involve plots which are not normal run-of-the-mill story lines, the differences in the two were immense in my personal opinion. The Sixth Sense presented an off-beat story, but one that I could truly get involved in. The Lady in the Water was also unusual, but one that I could not envision or be drawn into. This plot revolved around an ancient bedtime fable which slowly unraveled. Although the acting was extremely professional, the way the films' characters accepted and acted upon the various elements of the fable was incredulous and too difficult for me to relate to.

It is obvious by the voting tabulation, that not all viewers agree with my assessment. That is what makes many aspects of the IMDb site intriguing and valuable to members and other visitors. Movie viewers may want to decide for themselves what their reaction to this film will be, but they should be alerted to the fact that even if they thoroughly enjoyed The Sixth Sense they may not have a similar reaction to this film.

All the King's Men (1949)

The Test of Time!

[8/10 · 21 October 2006]

I viewed this film for the first time this past week. It was one of only a few "Best Picture" Oscar winners over the past fifty or sixty years that I had not previously seen. I have found most, but not all, of these films to be absorbing and/or entertaining with the majority deserving of the awards they received. I included this specific film in a personal test that I conducted recently. I initially viewed the current version of this film, which features an impressive cast headed up by Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Anthony Hopkins. Then I rented this 1949 award winner to compare both versions.

I am aware that when you first see a film or program that you find to be an excellent presentation and then you view a newer version of the same entity, the normal tendency is to find the new version not up to the standards of the original due to the unfairly high expectations. For the test conducted, I switched viewing order of the two versions. I anticipated finding the newer version more rewarding due to the more than half century difference in the two presentations and the fact that Sean Penn and Anthony Hopkins have each artistically created several roles which I have found to be top of the line performances. It did not work out that way in this case. I found the 1949 version withstood the test of time and in my opinion was the superior production. This had to do with several factors, the primary one being that the screen play of the older version seemed to be better paced and the presentation flowed more evenly. I believe this version more closely followed the novel and the depiction of the central character "Willie Stark". The novel loosely based this character on real life Louisiana politician "Huey Long". I concluded that the newer version tried to capture more of Longs' character along with his political successes and failures. In doing so it lost some of the novels flow and impact.

Both versions have excellent casts and the performances given by both Sean Penn and Broderick Crawford (Oscar winning) as Willie Stark are first rate. I consider this version to be a top 25 all time political drama and gave it an 8 out of 10 IMDb rating, but I would recommend both versions for fans of semi-biographical political dramas.

The Break-Up (2006)

The Course: Relationships 101

[5/10 · 20 October 2006]

This film, unlike many other romantic comedies, does not take you from the meeting of the male and female characters, through the falling in love stage, the courtship stage and concluding in the beginnings of a meaningful relationship. The film, true to its' title, jumps to the relationship stage early in the production and proceeds to explore how relationships can deteriorate if those involved lose enthusiasm for putting in the effort required to maintain the relationship based on the emotions which initially promoted it.

Several IMDb viewers have commented on the true-to-life qualities of the film. I agree that there are many realistic elements and that this is one of the strengths of the presentation. There are a few other behavioral elements which could be questioned as to their true-to-life or normal aspects, but realism is in the eye of the beholder. What is real to one individual may be unusual to another viewer. This is one of the aspects which make viewing films entertaining and sometimes a little controversial. I like both of the stars, particularly Jennifer Aniston, and feel they were ideally suited for their roles.

Viewers who prefer films with happy or upbeat endings, I sometimes fall into that category, may be a little disappointed with that particular aspect of this film. Viewers who prefer sad, or what they perceive to be more realistic, endings may also be somewhat disappointed with that element. Viewers should make their own determination on the merits of the films' conclusion, but I recommend that they do not let that deter them from viewing this film. Hopefully, couples about to enter into romantic relationships can learn a few things from the film, although it might be considered somewhat tilted towards one genders' perspective. I personally gave it a 6 out of 10 , but I could realistically see where IMDb ratings in the range of 2 through 9 could be assigned, based on the individual voters point of view.

The Rapture (1991)

The Opposite Ends of the Spectrum!

[3/10 · 19 October 2006]

I recently viewed this film for the first time and found it to be intriguing if not especially satisfying. I apparently viewed this film from a somewhat different perspective than many other IMDb voters. I don't know the director's intent, but I felt the film exemplified the drawbacks and pitfalls of extreme positions and/or lifestyles. The central character, vividly portrayed by Mimi Rogers, leads a very loose lifestyle in the initial stages of the film and converts to an overly rigid lifestyle in the latter stages after becoming disenchanted and seemingly depressed with what was transpiring in her life. Viewers can judge for themselves whether one type of extremism is preferable to the other. In my opinion, many types of groups or cults (politically or religiously inspired) capitalize on people searching for a person or group who can dramatically change what they perceive as an unrewarding existence. This film may draw, intense positive or negative, response from people with extreme religious positions. Not placing myself at either end of that spectrum, I was deeply interested in the film but felt that it lost some of its impact and possibly a couple of rating points, over the final half hour of the presentation.

Mimi Rogers gives a strong performance in a film in which she is required to shoulder the burden. It's not that the other actors give sub-par performances. It's just that the film is so primarily structured around Mimi's character that she is required to carry the load and does so extremely well. In my opinion, an IMDb rating of between 3 and 8 would seem to fit this religiously provocative drama. I personally gave it a 4 out of 10 and would recommend it for viewers who are not offended by loose sexual lifestyles or exploring intense religious attitudes.

One Good Cop (1991)

Plenty of Action, but not just a Guy Film!

[8/10 · 18 October 2006]

In my opinion, this film is one of the most underrated action films of the nineties. Although it received some fairly good reviews by the critics, it was not very well publicized considering the quality cast. I would rate it as one of my top 100 all-time action films. The majority of IMDb voters appear to disagree with that evaluation. I believe this is related to two major factors. The first factor being the lack of hype for the film, as demonstrated by the fact that there were less than 1,000 IMDb votes cast for this film as compared with two other action films released the same year. Backdraft and Point Break each had in excess of 16,000 IMDb votes cast and received significantly higher evaluations. I believe that both of these films are excellent action movies, but I also believe that this film is every bit as exciting as those films and contains some intriguing elements that the others do not posses. The second factor is that many younger male viewers are turned on by non-stop action films with multiple shoot outs or demolition derby type car chase scenes. This film has a few action packed scenes but also takes the time to present a tender family oriented story. The IMDb voting demographics indicate the lowest rating for this film was provided by male voters in the 18 to 29 age group which appears to validate this theory.

The film tells an emotional police story and explores the personal life of a police detective who struggles to provide a family life for the young daughters of his slain ex-partner. Although primarily an action movie, the film has several heart warming moments as it explores why individuals sometimes do the wrong things when motivated by the right reasons. Michael Keaton as the detective, Renee Ruso as his wife and Anthony LaPaglia as his partner all give strong performances which draw viewers into the emotional drama. Rachel Ticotin's character development is also key to the presentation.

In my opinion an IMDb rating of between 5 and 9 would be justified for this intense police drama. I personally gave it an 8 out of 10 and would recommend it for male viewers looking for a rental to view with their wife or date. This date night type film, contains elements which should entertain both genders.

When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)

Not Ground-breaking, but somewhat Unique!

[7/10 · 17 October 2006]

There are times when seeing a quality film for the second time that it does not stack up as well as it did the first time it was viewed. More often, I enjoy the film a little more on the second viewing due to being able to pick up certain subtle aspects that were not as evident on the first go around and on a few occasions, I find a film much more rewarding, as was the case with this particular film. I saw the film in the theater when it was originally released and although I thought it was a fairly good film and the performances by the two stars, Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia, were of a high quality, I was somewhat disappointed in the overall production. It may have been related to my having anticipated a romance that was not based on as much heart-ache and depressing circumstances.

I saw it again recently, slightly over a decade later, and was able to view it from a slightly different perspective. The material, dealing with alcohol addiction, is not ground-breaking but is presented in a slightly unique fashion. The film depicts the downward spiral of the addicted woman, but also examines all the tragic consequences forced upon those closest to her. It involves the audience in the tragic and depressing situations that are imposed on the spouse, children, family and friends of the person with the addiction. It has a somewhat unique aspect, in that it examines how those closest to the alcoholic can inadvertently contribute to the problem while attempting to help their loved one recover from the addiction. Although they may have the best of intentions, they can sometimes magnify the conditions related to the problem.

I think an IMDb rating of between 4 and 9 would seem appropriate for this intense emotionally charged drama. I personally gave it a 7 out of 10 and would highly recommend it for viewers that are not in the market for light or humorous entertainment.

16 Blocks (2006)

An Action Packed Trip

[7/10 · 5 October 2006]

Bruce Willis has starred in several suspenseful action thrillers including the 2005 release "Hostage" and the earlier "Die Hard" trilogy (the 1988 original being my personal favorite). In my opinion, this intense police drama qualifies to become a member of that acclaimed group. A few IMDb reviewers have indicated that the character portrayed by Mos Def was aggravating and detracted from their enjoyment of the film. His character was indeed annoying at times, but I felt that was exactly how the character was intended to be and the film would not have been nearly as effective without that ingredient. From my prospective, his performance rather than detracting from the production, substantially added to the overall presentation.

The films' title is based on the distance required to transport a key witness from a precinct house to a courthouse to give crucial testimony in a criminal case. Although viewers are not initially aware of the fact, this testimony might prove very damaging to selective members of the city's police department. Willis plays aging detective Jack Mosley who has a serious drinking problem. Mosley is assigned the task of transporting the important witness across town. Rapper Mos Def plays a petty criminal, who also happens to be the key witness in the case. David Morse portrays a high ranking police officer, who is intricately involved in what transpires on the courthouse journey and who also happens to be Mosleys'former partner. All three actors give high level performances boosting the overall quality of the film.

A couple of events, which transpire on the courthouse trip, are somewhat unrealistic, but most are suspenseful and a few create some edge-of-your-seat type excitement. The most significant event that occurs on the journey, is the relationship that develops between the shop worn detective and the slightly undesirable witness that he is escorting. The building of that relationship is what the film is really about. I believe and IMDb rating of between 5 and 8 would be fitting for this absorbing action drama. I personally gave it a 7 out of 10 and would recommend it for Bruce Willis fans and for all action movie enthusiasts unless they have an aversion to story-lines involving police corruption.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

A Ground Breaking Western Classic

[7/10 · 4 October 2006]

I watched this film in its' entirety for the first time this week. I had seen small portions of this action packed western on television previously, but had never viewed enough of the storyline to form a prior opinion of this critically acclaimed drama. IMDb web site voters have made the film one of the Top 250 IMDb rated films. While I would have no problem in rating it as one of my Top 25 Westerns, it would be somewhat of a stretch for me to rate it as one of my Top 250 all time films. I do feel that it was an era transitional and ground breaking production. It would be difficult to find other period films which included members of the outstanding cast, headed up by William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine and Edmund O'Brien, that contained bare breasted women or the level of graphic violence that are in this film. The nudity is handled in relatively good taste, but the blood shed might have been toned down a little in my opinion. Fans of current vintage violent action or grizzly horror films, may disagree with that assessment.

The absorbing film, tells the story of a group of aging desperadoes, who are unsure of what the future holds for them as they approach the end of their unlawful careers. The leader and master-mind of the group, creatively portrayed by William Holden, holds the band of outlaws together while providing them with both a sense of discipline and their own unique form of ethics. The climactic scenes, although excessively violent, should be loved by most fans of action westerns. I felt that the script, like the outlaw band, wasn't sure where it was taking us and how it should all end. Although I might have chosen a somewhat different conclusion, I think the film was a very insightful and entertaining classic that could easily qualify for an IMDb rating of between 6 and 9. I gave it a 7 out of 10 and would certainly recommend it for western film lovers and fans of the superb cast.

Just My Luck (2006)

Not great but should entertain most.

[4/10 · 1 October 2006]

A significant percentage of IMDb voters seem to have assigned either a maximum 10 or minimum 1 rating to this film. I have viewed a large number of films over the years and would assign these maximum or minimum values to only a small percentage of the films I have seen. This certainly would not qualify as a film I feel would be deserving of either of these extreme positive or negative rating values.

Several reviewers have been extremely critical of the performance given by Lindsay Lohan in the film. I know that she has been the subject of various tabloid articles in the past. I never read those publications and had not seen any of her prior films, so I viewed this film with no pre-conceived expectations or bias. While she did not give a ground breaking or award winning performance, I feel she did a fairly credible job given the depth of the material provided.

This film is not for those looking for heart pounding action, emotion draining romance or side splitting humor, but I think most young females will find it entertaining if they are able to overlook an unrealistic story-line. Many more mature females and some macho males might also find the film contains a touch of warmth, some romantic moments and provides a few chuckles over its' approximate 90 minute running time.

The plot revolves around a young couple, the female blessed with an abundance of good luck and the male at the opposite end of the luck spectrum. They meet at a masquerade gala and exchange a magical kiss along with respective positions on the spectrum. What follows, although not always plausible, is often humorous and occasionally romantic. An IMDb rating of between 3 and 7 seems justified for this romantic comedy with a warm and upbeat conclusion. I personally gave it a 4 out of 10.