dennis-68 Reviews

The Man Who Cried (2000)

The Film That Died

[10 February 2002]

Cate Blanchett is reason enough to see this oddly malfunctioning film. Johnny Depp, too. And the film is pleasant enough to look at. But Ms. Ricci is a distraction. She's miscast as the heroine, and badly. I kept waiting for her to ditch that dumpy hair style and start belting out songs. After all, she's supposed to be gorgeous and a chanteuse to boot. Frankly, I think young Ricci has some killer eyes and hints at disarming vulnerability but it's sad to see her so out of place here and it's almost laughable how when she lifts her skirts to show off her supposedly great legs the director has to go to long shot. Her singing isn't very convincing either. That's no big sin but her character's voice is supposed to be exceptional enough to lift her above the childhood crowd and even wow the big singing star himself. Her singing here wouldn't land her a solo in your average high school choir. I kept thinking, "Is that her real voice? If it is, why didn't they hire a real singer and dub it? If it isn't, why didn't they hire a decent singer for her?"

I kept hoping Blanchett and Depp would leave their dumb partners and run off together. Now that coupling would have been worth watching.

Bagdad Cafe (1987)

Truly Magic

[9/10 · 10 February 2002]

Want a feel-good movie without the treacle? Then consider renting this wonderful little film. Stocked with oddly likable characters and a quirky story line, it pleases on several levels. So different, it holds your attention -- none of this telegraphing where the story line is going (although the boomerang metaphor gets over used a bit). Nice performances, too. Makes you wish the Bagdad Cafe really existed. Definitely makes you glad they still make films like this.

Birdbath (1971 TV Short)

Stay to the Finish

[18 December 2001]

A strong character study and one of Patty Duke's finest efforts. Velma Sparrow (Duke) is a Big Apple waitress who doesn't have much going for herself. Her life between multiple jobs is pretty empty except for the occasional movie at "Lowee's Paradise House," ("You can really dream there," she says). But appearances are deceiving. There is a shocking reason for Velma's massive insecurities ("Your mother is rotten," restaurant customer James Farentino confides) and for why she seems just a little distracted when she starts opening up to Farentino. Story unfolds a little slowly in the beginning but then hold on -- there is a surprise ending. Patty Duke is touching and totally convincing here -- flashing brilliant at several points in her portrayal. Farentino is fine, too.

Titanic (1953)

A Film to Remember

[15 July 2001]

When I was young I was probably the only kid in years who had checked out our library's copy of Walter Lord's "A Night to Remember." It began a lifelong fascination with the ill-fated liner. I was home sick on the couch a short time later when I saw this film for the first time on TV. Forty years later, I still remember how this movie touched me then. Even then I was hooked -- not just because the film dealt with the Titanic, but for some visceral reason I couldn't put my finger on. Still can't -- decades later. I'm not ashamed to say I continue to get choked up by the scene where Webb is on the slanting deck with his "son", telling the boy he's never been prouder of him. Fast forward several years and I'm sitting on the couch watching this film with my own son for the first time. Sure enough, I'm having a tough time not losing it all during the Webb and son scene (especially poignant now) when I sneak a peek over at my boy. I've seen him cry maybe two or three times in his whole life yet there he sat with unmistakably moist eyes. What a moment to share. I'm very happy to see so many other people here feel positively toward this movie. One of the defining movie experiences of my life.

Cats & Dogs (2001)

It's a dog, all right

[4 July 2001]

Bad. The first minute of this movie has some genuine laughs but they quickly level out and then plummet. Poorly written, this film not only manages to mine every pet cliche you can imagine, it strip mines them. The acting isn't very good either. Jeff Goldblum can be interesting but he's not even that here. The actors supplying the animals' voices fare better. In fact, Sean Hayes does a nice job as the voice of the head nasty kitty. However, that wasn't enough to keep my interest. I kept thinking this movie was never going to end. The kids in the audience seemed out of it, too. One little boy kept playing with his shoes, the type that flash red when pressure is applied. It was about the only bright thing in the theater. Even the adult man sitting behind me stopped laughing (he was conspicuous because he was the only one laughing after the first five minutes) and grew silent about mid point. Watch the trailer. It contains everything worth seeing. Sadly, "Cat and Dogs" ends up a turkey.

Head of the Family (1996)

Use Your Head

[8/10 · 22 June 2001]

C'mon folks. Do you really think the producer, director and cast intended this to be serious? A tongue-in-cheek parody of all those cheesy horror flicks I used to enjoy as a kid -- that's what I think this is supposed to be. Belly laughs? No. But I did find myself chuckling on occasion at the subtle touches and I was continually amused by and pleased with the thing. In this day of bloated, anything-goes, lowest common denominator comedy, this is a pleasant departure because it's serving up all those types of films (hence the over-the-top family of misfits, the gratuitous sex, etc.) and it's right on target. And personally, I think the acting is way above average here --they're making fun of all the bad acting that goes on in these films. It's too bad some of my fellow reviewers here tried to take this film as serious scary stuff. It's not intended to be that. I think it's poking fun at an entire genre. It's a well crafted little movie that dares to be different. I appreciated -- and enjoyed -- it.

The Next Best Thing (2000)

Unintentionally hilarious

[21 October 2000]

This movie is bad, bad, bad. There is no chemistry between the two leads and the very talented Rupert seems out of place here, in the type of role he has handled with past aplomb. If you're a discerning movie viewer you probably won't make it to the end unless you're on the masochistic side or someone who revels in bad film making -- which this is. The cliches and bad acting abound almost from the first frame but don't quit watching until you see the funeral scene in the early part of the film. You have to see it to believe it. I think the intention was for there not to be a dry eye in the house when the mourners start singing (yes, folks -- a singing funeral, although it should be for Madonna's acting career). Instead everyone in the audience burst into laughter. Too bad -- Everett deserves better than this. So do ticket buyers.

Me, Natalie (1969)

No Way An Ugly Duckling

[25 August 2000]

The good news: Patty Duke redeems herself as an actress after her admittedly "bad work" in "Valley of the Dolls." The bad news: hardly anyone went to see this in theaters. That's a shame because there's much to commend this film. Most of that centers around Duke's performance (actually, they're all top notch performances here). She has to convince us she's unattractive, vulnerable, yet no weakling by any stretch of the imagination. Yet I never felt entirely sorry for her because she seemed well equipped to weather the putdowns that come from being an ugly girl. I ended up liking Natalie because Duke makes her likable -- yeah, she's got a heart of gold but she's got spirit, too. There are all kinds of nice moments here but I especially appreciate the scene at the Hoboken ferry landing where she goes to see if her fictional Prince Charming will actually materialize. She won a Golden Globe award for this performance and it stands as probably her best work as an adult. From here she moved into what is arguably her second best adult role, in the TV film, "My Sweet Charlie." She won an emmy for that one. About this time she also did a wonderful job in a PBS film called "Birdbath." Again, she's paired with Farentino and again, she's a plain Jane from New York City, but this time with an entirely different psychological make-up from Natalie and with a horrible secret. Duke sure showed a lot of potential for the big screen...too bad it never materialized. And it's too bad this film isn't available on VHS.