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Reviews
Jimmy's Hall (2014)
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
For me, there are two things at work here. One is the movie itself, and the other is the message in the movie. You can have an important message present in a less than brilliant film. This film is very good, but it's message is even greater. Now, in February 2016, Bernie Sanders is campaigning for president on the platform of ending Wall Street and banking abuses. He's campaigning for a decent livable minimum wage, and for universal health care. It has always been a struggle between the haves and have-nots. Jimmy is a symbol of all who strive to survive while living in the midst of oppression by the 1%. The photography in the film is first-rate, with many scenes full of rich side-lighting reminding me of Vermeer. The cast is flawless and their daily struggles very true to life. There is no scene chewing, and most performances are quietly real and effective. It was a moving and rewarding experience. On a side note, I came away with tremendous respect for the Irish character. In the midst of hardship in Jimmy's hall, the poor celebrated their true culture, their music, poetry, and dance. It's really a human tragedy that we must play out the same struggle in America 84 years later. Only now it's the conflict between the poor who must drink poisoned water in Flint, while the "Lords" scheme to get more money and power in the Koch brothers boardroom. It will always be so.
Austenland (2013)
Gak!
Did you ever watch the first five minutes of a movie, and realize that for every ten more minutes you watched, your IQ would drop eleven points? Austenland is such a movie. When Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber were standing there at the airport and the "nineteenth century" taxi arrived, I knew if I saw the rest of this film I would wind up brain-dead. It isn't funny, except in ways that awful movies are funny in an unintended sort of way. In other words the writing, acting and directing are so bad you laugh your tutu off. Austenland is such a movie. There are wonderful comedies out there, fantastic period dramas and historical masterpieces. Austenland is not one of them. Avoid!
To Rome with Love (2012)
Even a great artist can't copy him/herself
The Midnight in Paris Formula didn't work in Rome. Midnight was stupendous, wonderful movie. To Rome With Love was dialed in, and in my opinion had none of the magic of the other movie. The soundtrack was awful...sort of what a director thought Italian music should sound like. He didn't give enough screen time to any main character and as a result we wound up caring about none of them. The switching back and forth gave me a headache. Rome is a visual treat but the shots of the city were like the music. I hate to use the word cliché, but it fits. I classify this flick as mildly entertaining, at best. Woody isn't an actor, we know this. His twitchiness was especially cloying in nearly every scene. He must make a decision not to display neurotic behavior. However, and this is my problem, my expectation level was very high after Midnight in Paris, so I feel let down.
Rock of Ages (2012)
Predictable, cliché, mediocre music, and not PG 13
Someone must have bought the PG13 rating. I'm no prude, and like good, healthy movie sex when it is erotic and not exploitive. Because no nudity is present they were probably able to keep the PG13. However, I would like to remind the producers that actors who put their heads between other actors legs, and gyrate on poles with panning in and out crotch shots, this doesn't make the film PG13, even with their clothes on. The sex is gratuitous and exploitive, and not suitable for teenagers.
Now to the story: Not worth re-capping the fine points because there aren't any. I don't know how Tom Cruise, who is now 50 years old, could make this film without being embarrassed. Did he convince himself that he was having a good time? His acting abilities have always been suspect, but now he's crossed the line into ludicrous. The only positive I can find, with a very large magnifying glass is Alec Baldwin as the club owner. The music is badly done, with duets sung by people in different parts of the set, and superimposed. Yuk. The film has echos of Eddie and the Cruisers, part II, and Across the Universe, and ripped off elements from both. I've seen some great rock movies, but this isn't one of them.