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Reviews
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Amazing musical, very cutting edge.
Personally, I thought McGregor and Kidman were excellent, as were Roxburgh and Leguizamo. The musical numbers were done quite well, and I found a good bit of humor in the usage of modern-day songs in the storyline. I appreciated this movie much more after the second and third viewings. Ewan McGregor does a more than credible job of carrying his role, and I wasn't aware he had such a piercing tenor. I was not put off by some of the camera work and visual imagery as some other reviewers - I found the frequently changing camera angles to be much more of a visual enhancement than a distraction, which added to the overall effect of the film.
8/10
The Ref (1994)
One of my favorite comedies...
I read somewhere that right before this film was made, Demme went to his primary cast members and advised them, "If you have time to breathe in between lines, then you're doing this all wrong." The result is some of the fastest-paced, sharp, acidic humor you'll ever see in any medium. Every time I watch this movie, I find something new to laugh at. The chemistry between Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis, and Denis Leary is incredible, and makes this film fun to watch at any time of year.
8.5/10
Brian's Song (1971)
Good Lord, I hate TV movies.
That being said, this is most definitely NOT a TV movie in the standard overacted, overly cheesy, ridiculous sense. I love this movie. Billy Dee Williams (Sayers) and James Caan (Piccolo) give the exact right emotional level to their parts, and it brings the rest of the cast into the story. I found myself laughing, hurting, and crying at various times throughout this movie. I do agree with the previous reviewer that if you can watch Sayers' speech upon winning the George Halas "Most Courageous Player" award without tearing up (or, more accurately, blubbering like a buffoon), you're probably not human.
DO NOT watch the remake - it was horrible. This movie, however, is a 9/10.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Oh....my......GOD.
This was absolutely the most unintentionally funny flick I have seen in a long while. I heard all the "rave" reviews, and I had to witness the disaster for myself....kind of like a rubbernecker passing a three car pileup on the interstate, going about eight miles per hour just to try and catch a glimpse of the body parts. I literally transformed into one of the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" puppets, and found myself inserting my own "dialogue" into this waste of celluloid. That was the only enjoyable part of this flick, as there are not enough adjectives in the English language to adequately describe this steaming dogpile of a movie.
1/10...my first "1" ever.
Coyote Ugly (2000)
I want my two hours back.
I was talked into watching this movie by a friend who blubbered on about what a cute story this was.
Yuck.
I want my two hours back, as I could have done SO many more productive things with my time...like, for instance, twiddling my thumbs. I see nothing redeeming about this film at all, save for the eye-candy aspect of it...
3/10 (and that's being generous)
Titanic (1997)
Could this movie be any hokier?
Yuck. Normally, I can lose myself in a movie, at least the first time...but I found myself picking apart this overlong bucket of drivel before I got halfway through. Only a very good performance by Winslett, as well as a surprisingly decent DiCaprio performance, is keeping me from rating this movie 3/10....because all of the other "acting" in this waste of celluloid is horrific. The special effects are okay, the soundtrack is good (well, at least until Celine Dion opens her mouth)....but this picture had about as much business as "Ghost" in getting nominated for (much less winning) a Best Picture Oscar.
5/10
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
A wonderfully heartfelt film...
...that stands the test of time. This was immediately one of my favorite films when I first saw it in 1982, at age 13. I decided to pick it up when I saw it's recent release on DVD and I am still not disappointed in the film. I am not a Warren Beatty fan by any stretch of the imagination, but this is a classic...and Charles Grodin comes very close to stealing the entire show. Highly recommended.
The last 15 minutes of this film move the heck out of me, every time. I generally gravitate toward the "average" mark in rating movies, but this, in my opinion, rates a 9/10....I liked it quite a bit better than "The Deer Hunter", which won the Best Picture Oscar for 1978.