OK, this is not the greatest movie. Doesn't probably belong in the top 250 movies ever, etc., but it's really quite good.
Paul Mazursky (sp?) is after all a very gifted and experienced moviemaker. The film's technicals are generally very good, therefore.
The biggest problem with the film is that it has too much sentimentality, that is, too much feeling that seems artificial or even fake (mawkish is a good though not often used word - it comes from the same root it seems as maggot! and denotes something that makes one nauseous!). I don't want to exaggerate negatively here. I said first that the movie is quite good and I mean it. But it does have problems with one of its main tendencies: its (main?) thrust, to show that the "freedom life" is good (and specifically in the USA). (BTW, I don't think it can be accused of excessive AmericaFirstNess on that score).
The acting is generally good to excellent, but Robin Williams who is usually good has some of his usual problems showing emotion. (He contributes a lot to the sentimentality problems.) Don't know why some people knocked Maria Conchita Alonso who I thought was real good (she's notably good at showing genuineness, in contrast to RW!) And many of the smaller parts are excellently done! Much of the movie's Soviet Russia sections are very good in *all* moviemaking respects. I note that several Russians have pointed this out.
I guess the thing gets down to the question of whether it's possible to make a great Something that's mostly about how good Freedom in the USA is. I'm not knocking the United States (although I'm pretty sure quite a few people in these post 9/11 times will, defensively, think I'm am, BUT I believe it is very difficult to make anything in art that's real positive about the US (or to argue strongly in favor of the USA) when most all of what you're showing or talking about is freedom: the US is a very green (ie, young) country that is still often juvenile, especially in "feeling its oats" too much. We didn't invent freedom or liberty and we aren't worlds better than anyone else at "doing" it, though we have been so insular through most of our history that too many of us think we are. And I'm surprised that so much of this pretty unknowing attitude comes through in a Paul Mazursky movie.
Paul Mazursky (sp?) is after all a very gifted and experienced moviemaker. The film's technicals are generally very good, therefore.
The biggest problem with the film is that it has too much sentimentality, that is, too much feeling that seems artificial or even fake (mawkish is a good though not often used word - it comes from the same root it seems as maggot! and denotes something that makes one nauseous!). I don't want to exaggerate negatively here. I said first that the movie is quite good and I mean it. But it does have problems with one of its main tendencies: its (main?) thrust, to show that the "freedom life" is good (and specifically in the USA). (BTW, I don't think it can be accused of excessive AmericaFirstNess on that score).
The acting is generally good to excellent, but Robin Williams who is usually good has some of his usual problems showing emotion. (He contributes a lot to the sentimentality problems.) Don't know why some people knocked Maria Conchita Alonso who I thought was real good (she's notably good at showing genuineness, in contrast to RW!) And many of the smaller parts are excellently done! Much of the movie's Soviet Russia sections are very good in *all* moviemaking respects. I note that several Russians have pointed this out.
I guess the thing gets down to the question of whether it's possible to make a great Something that's mostly about how good Freedom in the USA is. I'm not knocking the United States (although I'm pretty sure quite a few people in these post 9/11 times will, defensively, think I'm am, BUT I believe it is very difficult to make anything in art that's real positive about the US (or to argue strongly in favor of the USA) when most all of what you're showing or talking about is freedom: the US is a very green (ie, young) country that is still often juvenile, especially in "feeling its oats" too much. We didn't invent freedom or liberty and we aren't worlds better than anyone else at "doing" it, though we have been so insular through most of our history that too many of us think we are. And I'm surprised that so much of this pretty unknowing attitude comes through in a Paul Mazursky movie.