KaiMiddleton Reviews

El padrecito (1964)

Charming

[9/10 · 31 December 2004]

My 72 year old mother-in-law loves Cantinflas so we rented this movie among several others of his. I admit I wasn't looking forward to it but I found the clear way in which the main character did good somewhat refreshing after the edginess of modern films. Some might see "El Padricito" as formulaic but I enjoyed it much more than Denzel Washington's modernly formulaic "Out of Time" (I really didn't like that movie). Cantinflas' picture shows a character that must have been a bit avante-garde for his time and was innocent (or naive) in the basic humanity that everyone was able to achieve.

Here is a plot summary: Diminutive Mexican film legend Cantinflas (a cross between Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni and silent film star Buster Keaton) stars as an unconventional priest who's assigned to a new position in a small town. The townspeople are skeptical of the new arrival, and the priest's own unconventional ways do little to boost his popularity.

New Rose Hotel (1998)

Cyberpunk goes high class

[10/10 · 24 March 2000]

Finally a cyberpunk genre movie that has more thinking to it than gunfire or cheesy dolphins (e.g. Johnny Neumonic). The thinking of the characters was compellingly drawn by Walken and Dafoe; you get the sense of how genius has "the edge." The effects support the story rather than being the story. The nature of this future world is well conveyed..always through video cameras. We never even meet the key man, Hiroshi, that the main actors are after; we only see him through video.