teeveedub Reviews

Tap (1989)

Who cares about the hokey premise?

[7/10 · 8 December 2004]

If you like tap dancing, this is one of the rare opportunities to see tap legends like Jimmy Slyde, Sandman Sims, Henry LeTang, and Harold Nicholas along with latter-day tap wizards Gregory Hines and Savion Glover and icon Sammy Davis, Jr. Dianne "Lady Di" Walker even has a cameo appearance.

This movie is glued together with a questionable plot and some illogical excuses to tap dance. But who cares? Once these folks are dancing, nothing else matters.

P.S. Look (and listen) for the incomparable Etta James singing in the club scene.

Shiner (2004)

A cinematic mess masquerading as erotica

[1/10 · 12 November 2004]

OK. So it's a low-budget "film" (I used the quotes because it was shot in Hi-8 video). The acting is universally horrid, the makeup is laughable (the blood looks like it came from Sherwin-Williams and I've seen more convincing bruises made from halloween ghoul kits), and the lighting generally looks like they used someone's borrowed Toyota pickup to shine headlights on the actors.

I might be able to forgive these low-budget traits if there were some actual content, if a movie made an attempt to tell a story. But this collection of video footage can boast of no plot, no real characters, and no momentum. It's a self-indulgent mess.

And don't worry -- no spoilers here, 'cause there's absolutely nothing to spoil.

Tap (1989)

Who cares about the hokey premise?

[7/10 · 30 November 2000]

If you like tap dancing, this is one of the rare opportunities to see tap legends like Jimmy Slyde, Sandman Sims, Henry LeTang, and Harold Nicholas along with latter-day tap wizards Gergory Hines and Savion Glover and icon Sammy Davis, Jr. Dianne "Lady Di" Walker even has a cameo appearance.

This movie is glued together with a questionable plot and some illogical excuses to tap dance. But who cares? Once these folks are dancing, nothing else matters.

P.S. Look (and listen) for the incomparable Etta James singing in the club scene.

Magnolia (1999)

Genius, Interrupted

[3/10 · 4 January 2000]

During the first hour of this film, I thought "This man is a genius." During the second hour of this film, I thought "This better have an amazing denouement." During the third hour of this film, I thought "This is the most incoherent film I've ever seen." Characters are painstakingly introduced but never woven back in. Questions are poised and never answered. And, among the audience that I shared this film with, there were groans of disgust.

Nevertheless, there are some astonishing performances in "Magnolia," most notably that of Jason Robards, Jr. Robards clearly has an understanding of death and dying, and he manages to infuse this life wisdom into his performance in nuance rather than big bold moves.

Contrast that performance, however, with that of Tom Cruise, whose performance is nuance-free. I know his lack of subtlety will be heralded by some as bold and committed acting, but I found him totally one-dimensional in a role that, ironically, had potential for depth and breadth and width. Cruise seems to resort to his trademark smirk whenever he doesn't know what else to do.

Paul Thomas Anderson has employed many members of his repertory company. Three standouts are Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, and, in yet another great performance in a banner year, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Speaking of standouts, I think Anderson has employed another "member" of his repertory company during Tom Cruise's pants-down interview profile shot. Did I recognize Mark Wahlberg's prosthesis under those briefs? Hmmm.

All in all, Anderson suffers from the "what-are-you-going-to-do-next" syndrome. "Boogie Nights" was such a triumph, one that seems impossible to replicate. Like so many films (and plays and novels) that follow on the heels of major successes, "Magnolia" doesn't quite cut it. Neither did the editor.