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james-peto
Reviews
Car Wash (1976)
Plotless
This movie has a great music track. There's some real talent and the occasional funny moment. But the great problem is that this movie is plotless and so the occasional funny moment just is mild relief from the overall tedium of a film that just drags on and on.
I originally saw this movie in a double feature; it was followed by another movie of that era, "Smokey and the Bandit." By comparison, "Smokey" was comedic genius, and it is by no means a masterpiece.
Not recommended.
Dawn and Twilight (1914)
Edwardian melodrama has some interesting ideas
A blind violinist has an operation that restores his sight, but that results in him turning away from the one young woman who has cared about him as "not beautiful enough," with tragic results.
A pretty rudimentary melodrama, even for the era, but does touch on interesting themes about disability and attitudes towards the disabled, superficial attraction versus steadfast love, and what really matters in a relationship.
Crossed Love and Swords (1915)
Not bad for the era
Louise Fazenda stands out doing a good job portraying an upper class proto-flapper in this Keystone short, which probably was a decent film for the era.
Most Keystone films don't hold up well to audiences over a hundred years later, this one is no exception. The slapstick humour, the bizarre makeup and exaggerated acting seem quite crude today in this mildly amusing story.
Love. Marriage. Miscarriage (2010)
A very realistic short film
This short that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival presents a very real-to-life situation dealing with the pain of miscarriage, and how it effects family relationships. An under-appreciated situation that happens all too often in life, and is handled with great sensitivity and tact.
The scene is that of a family get-together with the in-laws at their family cottage. Normally that would be a relaxed and happy time, but with the internal emotional issues that come with a miscarriage, it is more a time to dread rather than a pleasant time.
A plot line that could easily slip into melodrama or soap opera-like fake emotionalism is instead treated by the director and the actors with a very even hand and never stops being "real."
The casting is well done, the actors were very believable in their roles, one could easily picture oneself at a real family table with people just like them.
In just 10 minutes, the viewer is left with a lot of food for thought, and the memories of this film linger days after-ward.