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jbradleyclarke
Reviews
Luck (2011)
When you're explaining, you're losing.
I think the unexpected cancellation of Luck is the saving grace of the series. So much about Luck was done right. The actors, the set, and the jargon are all great, and there is no question that Milch worked hard to give the audience an authentic experience. I think this series was not going to be a long term success, however, for the same reasons Milch's Geronimo was not a great success: You have to entertain an audience as much as you educate them. In the case of Luck, the series was really palatable for just horse racing fans. I struggled to follow what was happening, and I could not become especially excited by any of the characters. I hope Milch will pursue another series and try harder to strike a balance between excellent acting, an authentic story, and an entertaining sex appeal.
Game Change (2012)
Thought-Provoking
Whether or not you supported Sarah Palin during the 2008 Presidential election, I think this film is worth a watch. Palin is not a hero in the film, but she is not a villain either. I think she is portrayed as a enigmatic person who finds herself in a position she is simply not ready for. In a way, Sarah Palin reminds me of a modern & female Davy Crockett, a provincial politician who rose above herself and captured national interest by chance rather than merit. There are funny moments, but I did not find myself laughing too often. I often felt sorry for Moore's Palin because she often seemed just like a struggling person placed in a situation way over her head. Shame on Steve Schmidt and his fellow team members for not engaging in a more thorough selection process or preparation process. Schmidt's team gets their preparation act together by the time of the vice-presidential debate, but their overall efforts leave a lot to be desired (as they were depicted in the film).
Although the film made me feel some sympathy for Sarah and her experiences during the election campaign, the viewing experience did not help me understand her. After all of the mortifying experiences Sarah endured during the campaign, I would think she would have wanted to retreat back to her home state and away from the limelight as Dan Quayle did when he left office. Instead, she chooses to embrace her new-found fame and remain a national figure. I can understand her desire to capitalize on her fame for monetary gain, but why she would ever want to run for a national office again is beyond me. Perhaps she really doesn't want to run for anything now or in the future. Maybe she has embraced her enduring fame during the past three years solely for financial gain. If so, then she is the real winner of the 2008 presidential election.
Cocoon: The Return (1988)
An underrated film that truly deserves to be watched and enjoyed.
As other reviewers have noted, sequels rarely live up to the original. Such is the case with Cocoon the Return, but the film has so good in so many ways that the it truly deserves to be watched and enjoyed.
I think the first film was so spectacular because of the character portrayed by Wilford Brimley. Early on in the film, the character discusses taking risks with another character. He says something to the effect, "I have not taken a risk in years. It's not the risks you take in life that you regret. It's the risks you don't take" Later on in the film, the same character is discussing the possibility of going into outer space with his wife to escape the end of their lives. During the discussion he says, "Well I'll tell ya, with the way nature's been cheating us, I don't mind cheating her a little." I think these two quotes capture the way the first film focuses what's important to people in life and the universal human desire to beat death.
The second film deals with the issues of what is worth dying for and what is worth living for. The answer for both is love, and I think the film deals with these issues in tender and thoughtful ways. One way is the issue of self-sacrifice: Whether or not we will sacrifice our lives so the ones we love can live on. Another way involves choosing to accept the limits of mortality in return for spending some time with the one you love most rather than to live forever without them. Another way involves making hard choices for the love of your children.
I think the film does an excellent job with the grandfather/grandson relationship. I think it is harder for teenagers to interact with their grandparents than when they are little kids. I think teens don't always know what to say even though the love for their grandparents never diminishes. I think it is equally hard to grandparents to ever fully articulate how much their grandchildren mean to them. This film really captures this issue and there is a scene centered around a baseball game that really captures a magic moment. If I ever have a grandchild who plays any kind of sport, I am going to attend every game I possibly can and break all other commitments to be there for him or her.
I think the film only fails to live up to the first movie in two ways. The first is that the film fails to provide new discoveries for the viewers. Except for one modest supporting role, there are no new characters introduced into the story. The other way in which the film falls short is that the final adventure at the end is not suspenseful. Only the final choices made by the main characters give the viewer any sense of surprise. I think the best sequels are written so that they can be watched and fully engaged by viewers who did not see the original. Aliens, Superman II, the Empire Stikes Back, and Terminator II are a few good examples. The creators of Cocoon the Return forgot this golden rule and the film fell short of its full potential.
Finally, at least one critic complained that viewers never learn about what the elderly characters experienced in outer space. The critic has a valid point, but I think the film wisely focused on the issue that, no matter what supernatural experiences the elderly characters shared for five years, they remained human beings who could never deny the mortality of their children or themselves.
Bad Teacher (2011)
A strong & positive message at the end
A lot or reviewers dislike this film for its surly incivility, and I think they do have a valid point of view. Cameron's character is reprehensible throughout the majority of the film, and the humor is often crass. Regardless, I think there are some fantastic scenes of humor. For example, the car wash scene in which Cameron sports a Daisy Duke outfit is hilarious: The distracted cop hitting cars, the acne-faced boy pleasuring himself, the fathers drooling over her. It is shamelessly shallow to be sure, but the scene is a great play on undeniable realities.
I think the average reviewer is so overwhelmed by the dark side of Cameron's character that they fail to fully appreciate her transformation. Despite all of her deplorable behavior, Cameron's character discovers the value of helping kids. She reaches out to a girl regarding her parents' overly ambitious goals for her future. She also helps a young man come to grips with his social struggles and she helps him deal with the harsh realities of junior high student drama. She doesn't handle theses issues properly, but she does handle them effectively. Most importantly, these experiences transform her goals from gold-digging to helping people. She abandons her breast enhancement goals and she becomes a guidance counselor. She does indeed get away with committing all of her foul deeds without being punished, but she does become a better person. The film doesn't let us know Cameron's character will be a good guidance counselor or if she will adequately clean up her behavior, but I think she does learn the value of helping kids face their problems.
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
The Book of Judges with a wacky sense of humor
Yes, this is a shameless Adam Sandler comedy, and it is filled with surly incivility. I think film can be enjoyed best, however, when you consider it as being a spoof about the ancient story of Samson. Zohan Dvir is a wacky, modern day Samson. Like the ancient strong man, Zohan fights the local Israeli enemies with superhuman strength. And just like Samson, Zohan is all about his hair with an odd twist: He has a passion for hair styling. Zohan also has issues with the ladies that can damage his super strength.
I don't think there is another spoof movie about Samson, and that is why "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" is a noteworthy film. And despite all of the wacky humor and irreverence, I think the film provides a valuable message about the futility and meaninglessness of violence.