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oldwobbly
Reviews
De-Lovely (2004)
De-licious
I saw this film last night in Los Angeles, and I'm still dancing on air today. Kevin Kline is absolutely brilliant as Porter. You've never seen Ashley Judd do anything even approaching her luminous portrayal of Linda Porter. I can finally forgive her for all the Paramount tough-woman-in-jeopardy franchise movies.
Nearly all the featured performers bring something special to Cole Porter's songs (the possible exception is Alanis Morissette, but your mileage may well vary on this). The costumes are gorgeous, the locations seductive, and one is fully able to suspend disbelief and enter the sensual, artistic world these people created wherever they went. John Barrowman is perhaps the best looking man to ever walk in front of a camera lens.
I hope MGM has some marketing money tucked away and earmarked for De-lovely...
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
Can't get it out of my head
I just returned from seeing this film, and I've already recommended it to everyone who'll listen. I expected to like it, based on the subject matter, Jodie Foster's participation, and early reviews. It didn't disappoint and in fact left me giddy and entranced. Ensorcelled, even.
The boys' drawings morphing into animated comics was particularly well done. All the young actors gave fine performances - and they seemed unforced and natural. I can't imagine the pitch meeting for this script, because it's certainly not "Hollywood" at all.
I'll see it again.
Trouble in Paradise (1932)
I'm still starry-eyed from it
I saw this last night on the Turner Classic Movies station. Wow. This is a perfect, shining, ebullient example of what was possible before The Code. The clever, witty, salacious dialogue! The compromising situations! The sheer sexuality permeating every scene, including the ones where the camera is on this side of a closed door! I am so glad that I finally saw this film, and would own a copy immediately were it available in any format. There's a lesson here. All together now: NEVER AGAIN with the censorship!!!
Dinner Rush (2000)
Deserves distribution!
I saw this film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival yesterday, and was blown away. Danny Aiello was as good as he's ever been, which is saying something. I haven't had this positive a reaction to a film in a long time. Great story, wonderful acting, delicious ending. A brilliant piece of filmmaking, with the edge and turn-over-the-rock-and-expose-the-worst-in-trendoids that we expect from Independents. Yet it isn't mean-spirited at all. Brilliant.
Bread and Roses (2000)
not since Martin Balsam
Elpidia Carrillo has a scene in this film equal to the "...I'm the best possible Arnold Burns" self-justification speech in A THOUSAND CLOWNS. It's so real and raw it's almost hard to watch. I saw this film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and it so beautifully delivers the drama and the realities of the Justice for Janitors campaign. Ken Loach does it again...with an American accent (ALL the Americas). Adrien Brody is Ron Leibman's NORMA RAE organizer if he were younger and less seasoned, but just as much the true believer. Pilar Padilla's Maya is all passion and youth and fun-loving troublemaker. The documentary style that Ken Loach uses is perfect for the subject.