Man Out Of Time Reviews

Human Highway (1982)

Brilliant garbage

[10/10 · 7 August 2000]

This is one of those movies that there is no in between on. You'll either love it or hate it. The thing is, those who hate it will hate for the very same reasons the others love it. Let's make no bones- This is a BAD MOVIE. And that's what makes it so great. The performances range from surprisingly decent (in the case of Devo) to ridiculously over the top (Neil Young) to barely coherent (Russ Tamblyn and the ever bizzare Dennis Hopper). The script is scattered and confusing, but contains flashes of inspired hilarity. And it somehow manages to be about something in the end! The highlights are a song-and-dance finale reminicent of Monty Python's Life of Brian and a brilliant deconstruction of Young's classic Out Of The Blue (performed by Devo and Young) which starts as a fairly straight ahead rendition and quickly devolves (so to speak) into a frenzied, chaotic "Screw You" to the fans of Young's sixties and seventies hits. So don't be a spud. Seek the movie out and savour it's delicious stench for yourself.

Magnolia (1999)

Over-rated, self indulgent tripe.

[3/10 · 24 July 2000]

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. I enjoyed Boogie Nights and Hard Eight immensely, and thought this would be the capper. It's just too bad it's not. The much touted performances (with the notable exceptions of John C. Reilly and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who were both excellent) were prime examples of what happens when you allow an actor to "go the distance". Subtlety goes right out the window and in come the tears and the shouting. The script only adds to the problem. How many "dysfuntional-people-at-the-end-of-their-tethers-and-about-to-snap" can we jam into one film? I didn't like or dislike the characters, I just wanted them to shut up. Another problem is the complete lack of humour of any kind whatsoever. Even the most serious and heavy handed dramas need at least a few laughs. It makes everything more human. The only time I laughed during this movie was in the ridiculous sing-a-long segment, and I don't think I was supposed to. But the main problem is this- I know I'm hardly the first person to state this, and I know I won't be the last, but I've seen this film before. It's called Short Cuts. As far as I'm concerned, a film as near perfect as that needs no restatement. A great opening twenty minutes and the performances of the above mentioned actors allows this movie to squeak in with a 3 in my book.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Well, it's better than the first one. Maybe.

[6/10 · 30 May 2000]

Okay, I didn't mind the first M:I, but it was hampered by a ridiculous script and the always ham-handed directing of Mr. DePalma. When I heard the man, the myth, the legend, John Woo, was directing the sequel, I got very excited. Perhaps too excited. I felt that after the brilliant Face/Off Woo would be allowed to finally let his true style loose. Well, I got what I wanted. A little too much of what I wanted. This whole film felt like a parody of a John Woo film, taking every stylistic aspect and blowing it WAY out of proportion. However, it was beautiful to look at. The script in the first film was filled with wild plot twists which were given no leadup whatsoever, simply justified afterwards. In my opinion, a good twist is something that leaves you slapping your forehead and berating yourself for how stupid you were for not figuring out beforehand. M:I-2 give you leadup alright. Again, I got what I wanted, but too much. The "twists" were inanely predictable, offering no challenge for the audience. In one instance I guessed the "twist" a full half-hour before it took place. Before the lead up even took place. For me, the script left me feeling just as hollow as the first one did, only the technique was different. I really have been harping on this film rather harshly- it had some very good points. The acting was terrific pretty much all around, the cinematography was simply stunning, and the action was, of course, truly amazing. But it never gripped me. It never sucked me in the way great thrillers like Fargo, The Usual Suspects or pretty much any Hitchcock film have. I never felt any of the characters were in any danger, and worse, I just didn't care. See it, but leave it for a matinee or the dollar theatre. They don't need your money anyway.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Witty, funny, heart-breaking, and sassy.

[8/10 · 12 March 2000]

It should be stated at the outset that I am a rabid Steven Soderbergh fan, so my opinion may be slightly biased. But this film still really did it for me. I know, you're thinking "Do we need another little-guy-takes-on-the-corperate-giant movie?" No, of course not. But this film manages to make it interesting again. The human drama, which is of course the centerpiece for any such story, and seemed so forced in films such as A Civil Action, came across as achingly real. And the performances. Ah, Steven, no one call pull a performance out of an actor like you. Having never been a Julia Roberts fan, I was blown away by her in this film. She was... REAL. I was able to forget that it was the "Pretty Woman" on the screen. In fact, the whole film was real. The broke single mom lives in a dump of a trailer which is not nicer than my apartment, as I see so often in movies. The woman dying of cancer is emaciated and hard to look at, not Cameron Diaz with a shaved head.

Anyway, enough rambling. Great movie, fun to see with a crowd, lots of laughs and lots of heart tugs. Watch for the real Erin Brockovich as a waitress near the beginning.

Reindeer Games (2000)

Silly, but creative and fun.

[8/10 · 28 February 2000]

This was not a movie I was exited to see. I am not generally a fan of the action movie genre, but Frankenheimer's name managed to get me into the theatre. I came out very surprised. This is an example of what the "action-thriller-comedy" film should be. The jokes are actually funny, the suspense is... well, suspensful, and the last ten minutes leave your head spinning with plot twists. Having a super pro director and top notch cast sure helps, too. I mean, Danny Trejo and Dennis Farina can do these kinds of films in their sleep by now. That's not to say it was without weak points. It does fall into the one-liner trap, which I'm sure some people enjoy, but I sure don't. Also, a few action movie cliches are present, but they are handled in a witty way. All told, if you've seen the ad and liked it, go see the film. You'll only think you know what to expect.