chasgoose Reviews

Kinsey (2004)

Great Acting and Fascinating Subject Let Down by Poor Storytelling

[7/10 · 12 January 2005]

While Kinsey might have been drawing a lot of flack for its frank and relativistic portrayal of sexuality has anyone stopped to look at whether or not it was a good movie? I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie. The subject matter and the story of how we as a society became more aware of what normal sexual habits provided for an interesting two hours. Laura Linney and Liam Neeson's acting was probably the best all year. Neeson, particularly, did a remarkable job. Unlike Jamie Foxx's more showy performance in Ray, Neeson inhabited his character so naturally that the little subtleties of his performance are almost imperceptible. Laura Linney once again shows why she is probably the best American actress working today. The life she brings to her role as the long-suffering wife transcends the stereotypical writing she had to work with.

This brings me the movie's ultimate shortcomings. While it starts off with a bang intercutting Kinsey's sexual report with images from his early life, the film soon turns into a very stereotypical, barely coherent biopic. It felt as though it was edited with a chainsaw and we were simply being dragged along artlessly through the important moments in Kinsey's life. Sometimes it was hard to tell why certain scenes were in certain places because they just jumped to the next milestone without really explaining much. Every character except Kinsey was written to be completely one-dimensional (it is a testament to Linney's acting abilities that she was able to add a dimension or two to her character). Ultimately I would recommend seeing Kinsey for the great acting and the interesting subject, but if you are sick of biopics in this over-stuffed movie season then you might be a little wary of this one.

The Office (2001–2003)

Laughter through the tears

[9 December 2004]

While admitting to being a general Britcom slut (Fawlty Towers, Ab Fab, Monty Python,) with the exception of Coupling which I wasn't that big a fan of, I think The Office is quite possibly one of the greatest TV shows ever to be put on TV. The show takes a few viewings to really get all of the humor/tragedy that the brilliant Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have built into the script of the show. The first time it seems sort of blah, but if you watch the whole 1st season, by episode 4 or 5 you pick up on the style of humor and realize that it lies mainly in the simple throwaway lines that the abhorrent David Brent and other employees of Wernham Hogg's Slough branch utter throughout the show. Also, like Gosford Park, the dialogue is very quiet and to an American not used to British accents it is tremendously helpful to put on the subtitles to understand what the characters are saying (it also makes the cringeworthy things that much more cringeworthy when you see them written out). Once you get the humor further viewing will allow you to appreciate the horror of "The Office." Watching all of Season 2 in a marathon viewing session left me so emotionally drained (even though I have never laughed harder in my life) that I was crying by the end and I couldn't tell if they were tears of sadness or laughter. At the same time I was relishing David Brent's demise, the new levels of obsequiousness and insensitivity he descends to by the end of the series is almost painful to watch. Tim and Dawn's will it happen/it won't happen relationship is one of the sweetest and most soul-crushing romances I have seen in television history ranking right up there with Sam and Diane from Cheers and Ross and Rachel from Friends. The beauty of "The Office" is it mixes some of the most hilarious sitcom humor with a level of epic tragedy that is hard to capture in any performing art form and does it so effortlessly that it is hard to tell where one begins and one ends. I cannot wait to see the special and finally finish the emotional roller coaster that was "The Office."

American Beauty (1999)

Great Acting, Great Direction, OK Script

[1/10 · 3 January 2002]

(Minor Spoiler Alert) American Beauty was not quite the most overhyped movie of the year. The acting by all people, especially Allison Janney, Thora Birch, Anette Bening, and Kevin Spacey. All of those people deserved the unanimous critical praise that they received for their great performances. As did Sam Mendes for his deft direction. And the music was wonderful. I felt overall, however, the movie became tedious and preachy. I get the idea of having every stereotype of dysfunctional suburba society all living right next door too each other. But all of their dysfunctions had been brought up before. Nothing that this movie said had not been said before. This is just the first time that all of this analysis of the problems in suburban America had been attacked all at once. Also,the script was written in such a way that it was so enamored with itself that what it was saying became meaningless. Some scenes, mostly those involving the Wes Bentley character, (though again, he gave a great performance) were so falsely brilliant that it was oppressive. It was as though the words coming from the characters mouths were the greatest observations about American society that ever were conceived. Even when American Beauty was making a good point, like the sofa scene, it was as though the writer was taunting you and saying, "look how brilliant I am." When I left the movie I felt that the movie had bullied me into thinking that it was brilliant and original, but in reality it wasn't. I think that Kevin Spacey deserved his Academy Award, and Anette Bening deserved to win. As did Sam Mendes. But to call this movie the best picture of 1999 is ridiculous. There were much better movies that year that did not have to feign intelligence through an stifling script. 6/10