reignsong Reviews

The Accidental Tourist (1988)

Hurt's performance a minimalist masterpiece

[9/10 · 18 May 2001]

Hurt expresses more with the slightest movement on his face than most actors do with pages of dialogue. An achingly beautiful portrait of a man trapped within himself, struggling at once to stay in and get out

Mary Poppins (1964)

Should have made AFI's top 100

[10/10 · 25 August 2000]

AFI blew it by omitting "Mary Poppins" from its 100 greatest American films. It's pure cinema, with state of the art special effects for its time. But the effects serve a lovely story, well told and acted, with charming song and dance numbers. The overture, underscoring Poppins's flight over London, is classic: worth the price of admission or rental; maybe the best overture ever, on screen or stage. I was 3 when the film debuted; I thought I'd die if I never got to see it again.