pschwiesow Reviews

Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)

Add another hetero male to the fan list

[11 September 2002]

This show seems to elicit fairly polarized responses along gender lines. Women and girls almost uniformly love it; the few males who comment hate it, unless they are family men AND sensitive new-age guy types. I notice that the real bashing comes from guys who are so turned off by the five or ten minutes they watch that they refuse to get to know the show well enough to sympathize with the characters.

Too bad, because character is indeed what this show is all about. And yes, it is certainly female-centric and presenting life from a female perspective. Men and boys are the supporting cast and are kept there firmly -- Dad and Dean and even Luke are given problems only insofar as their struggles affect the principals.

And, well, this is refreshing. It presents issues of concern to women, for sure, but it does so in a way that isn't cloying or preachy, unlike, say, Providence or even, to some extent, Thelma and Louise. It's not nearly as deliberate or manipulative as either of these. I just saw an episode where Rory's friend -- um, Kim something or something Kim -- decides to pick up the drums. No big speech about empowerment, no conflicts with taunting male schoolmates -- she just gets a bug and figures out a way to explore her new enthusiasm. That's it. No moral. The example is enough.

So if you're a man's man, try it anyway. It is, in fact, superbly written, and the rapid-fire, sarcastic, witty banter between mom and daughter is worth tuning in for of itself. Plus, Lauren Graham is not only a gifted actress, she's ridiculously hot, particularly for those who like some wit and attitude to go along with their curves. I'm in my 30s and unmarried, and I and another male friend of mine in similar circumstances both agree that this is very likely the best series on television (barring, for me, perhaps, Crossing Jordan). Sit through an episode with your wife or girlfriend, simply to score some points. You may find you like it.

Paris, Texas (1984)

Life-altering. The greatest film of all time.

[10/10 · 11 September 2002]

I first saw this film almost fifteen years ago and thought about almost nothing else for at least a month. I have never seen a film before or since that presents the extremes of love, pain, and loss with such immediacy and ruthless candor. Watching this film with openness, identifying with the characters, made me wince and writhe in sympathetic agony. I didn't cry; rather, I was reminded of all the times I have wept in my life, and why.

Perhaps each person person has a film -- usually a masterpiece -- which affects him or her so strongly that it is beyond description. This is mine.

Twist and Shout (1984)

excellent washington post review

[10/10 · 31 August 2002]

This film is the highest grossing film of all time in Denmark, where it was made. There must be a reason, yet I've never read a review that comes close to understanding the mood and intent of the film. Ebert's, for instance, is a joke and an embarrassment.

Ever seeking to see justice done to this superb film, I poked around some other sites and finally found a fair, thorough, thoughtful review. If you're interested, you might run a quick search for a review by Hal Hinson in The Washington Post back in 1987. Hinson describes "Twist and Shout" as "a buoyant, moody work" -- and, as anyone who's spent much time in Denmark can attest, that description might serve as well as any to describe the national character.

Rushmore (1998)

Strange to see varied reactions

[1/10 · 12 July 2001]

People seem to either love or hate this film. I hated it. It's much worse than just mediocre or uninvolving -- it's mean-spirited, pretentious, and aggressively unfunny. Makes you wince and squirm in your chair. I find it very strange that one reviewer claims to be a Woody Allen fan but strongly disliked 'Rushmore' -- to me, it has the same whining, cloying, "I-deserve-to-be-loved-because I'm such a loser and have no redeeming qualities" kinda vibe (I despise Woody Allen).

Strange that it was recommended to me by a woman whose intelligence and taste I generally much admire. It might be decent if it had a hero with anything one might find appealing, but this one doesn't -- he's self-promoting, self-aggrandizing, cheap, manipulative, loudmouthed, chauvenistic -- just a repellent jerk.

I wonder why movies like this seem to be so polarizing, and what it says about the kinds of people we are.

Twist and Shout (1984)

This is probably the best coming-of-age film ever made.

[10/10 · 14 April 2001]

I'm puzzled by the reactions I've read about this film. People call it "cute," or "curious." They think of it as a period piece, or a quirky comment on European sensibilities that they don't understand.

Nonsense. I consider this film one of the top three films ever made, in company with "Paris, Texas" and "Blue Velvet." It has little to do with its translated title "Twist and Shout" -- this is merely a reference to its setting, in 1963, and the fact that the main characters try to emulate The Beatles in dress and manner, as did probably the entire generation in that era.

The "Twist and Shout" business pertains to the setting only. This film gives one of the most raw, uncompromising looks at powerful human emotions -- friendship, loyalty, obsession, first love, loss, and betrayal -- that have ever been committed to celluloid. Directly translated from Danish, the title reads "Trust, Hope, and Love" -- and that, as direct and ambitious as it sounds, is EXACTLY what this film is about.

As the summary indicates, the abortion scene with Bjorn and Anna is both gut- and heart-wrenching. Erik's devotion to his mentally disturbed mother, and final self-emancipation from his dictatorial father, is as poignant as any depiction of the trauma of growing into adulthood as I have seen. And the endurance of the friendship between Erik and Bjorn, despite all that should have driven them apart, gives this disturbing, troubling film a bittersweet note of redemption that will linger long after its concluding scene.

Maybe it helps to be able to understand Danish, or be a little familiar with the culture (I lived for a year in Denmark when I was twelve). Still, I'm convinced that this excellent film has long been underrated, and that its themes are compelling and universal. If you can get hold of it, I strongly urge giving this film your attention. 10 out of 10.

Mad Max (1979)

Absolutely bankrupt movie, in all respects.

[14 April 2001]

I have long considered 'Mad Max' the worst movie ever made. I'm not sure why. Other movies have worse dialogue (not that 'Mad Max' has much of ANY dialogue, to speak of), and I suppose one or two have more graphic violence and gore. But this one is disturbingly bereft of something -- morality, I think, or perhaps more accurately, hope. It has Mel Gibson, who is a stunningly handsome and compelling actor -- funny, witty, charming, self-effacing in a Cary Grant kinda way -- given a role of mindless machismo, uncalled-for ruthlessness, and brutal treatment of people who have done nothing to harm him, but are rather trying to get by in the desperate, post-apocalyptic situation they all share. Gibson's character has authority, but no moral mandate -- he is the enforcer for an unnamed and unexplored "State" that the audience has no idea whether to embrace or hate.

I think what bugs me about this movie is that it makes no effort at all to justify all the car-chasings and carousings and dismemberments and explosions, but rather glories in them for their own sake. Almost all action, thriller, and even horror pictures have some sort of narrative structure and moral underpinning to them -- this one doesn't. It has a hero that the audience can't sympathize with and feel for -- his quest seems to be mayhem for no discernible reason, and yet he's good -- isn't he? Reminds me perhaps most strikingly of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' -- and I never thought much of that, either.