Rusty89 Reviews

The Care and Handling of Roses (1996 TV Movie)

Innocence maintained

[22 December 2001]

Margaret is the generic American housewife. Caretaker of children, plants and dishes, she has the monotonous rhythm of a woman who has hit an emotional and sexual cul-de-sac. This dead end comes in the form of the mediagenic American husband, Roger, who loves her and fathered her children, but has all the romanticism of frozen yogurt. Marge is a loyal wife, however, so she dares not wander outside the enclosures of marriage, and keeps to herself for the most part, with the exception of her good friend, with whom she visits the theatre every week. Suffice it to say, she is acquainted with a kindly gentleman, Tom Doster, who propositions her for coffee. From that point onwards, Margaret finds it hard to turn him away and the attraction strengthens with every encounter between the duo. Her sideline love interest conflicts with her domestic responsibilities and persona, therefore it is just a short matter of time before everything fizzles between she and Tom. But, there is also a flicker of hope for them aswell. It is an innocent, yet well acted TV drama, and I recommend it to those who have thought of experimenting with other people while in a relationship.

6.5/10

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

Get out of Denver

[22 December 2001]

Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead. Some is self-explanatory, some is plot and the rest might aswell be improvisation. The cast of characters features some seasoned actors, (Garcia, Walken, Treat), and some bizarre hillbilly comedy, but it is nevertheless a B- quality film. The storyline is surprisingly simple, considering all Jimmy (The Saint) Tosnia must do is round up his old clique of hoods for one last 'action', as The Man With The Plan (Walken) puts it, and then split the proceeds amongst them. The problem is, the old gang (who greet themselves with a palm-against-palm sequence) have gotten rusty over the years, and considerably more psychotic aswell. Suffice it to say, the plot turns fatally sour when the gangsters are marked for death, Jimmy included, for their role in the abortive 'action'. To spare his old pals, Jimmy pleads for them to be eloped out of Denver in order to spare them, and he would then acquiesce and leave aswell. His old boss agrees, and Jimmy now sets in charge of doing his business. The problem with the film, apart from the irrelevant love-story/prostitute friend subplots, is that it has no purpose. Once the climax of the film occurs, the bumbling group of desperados refuse to spare their lives, instead vowing war against the powerful local boss (Walken) and causing Jimmy as much heartburn as possible. After seeing the film, you feel no empathy for any of the characters, as they are all con-men, liars, 'fecal freaks' as Easy-Wind (Bill Nunn) puts it, who are out uniquely to save their own skin and therefore will kill at no cost to their own health. This being said, it discredits Jimmy's efforts to save them, and makes him look like a con-man himself, attempting to win over the praise of his film buddies such as the milkshake bartender and the old mob crony Joe, who sits in the corner of the bar, telling mob stories. Nothing can be learnt, nor repeated about the film, as it is a macabre tale of betrayal, savagery, coprophilia, and countless other perversions, all carefully intertwined in Gary Fleder's scriptline. Wether the actors or the director knew the film would be ill-received is unclear, as they all seem to have a great time anyway. And this is what matters in Hollywood today, isn't it?

6.5/10

Hoffa (1992)

The ship is sinking

[22 December 2001]

In this bitter, dark but effectively powerful film, legendary Teamsters Union President James Riddle (Jimmy) Hoffa is the centerfold. Bobby Ciaro (DeVito, also the director) is a fictional character who acts as Hoffa's goffer throughout the film, refusing to co-operate with the authorities when so-asked, calling various mafiosi on his behalf, and generally acting as his mouthpiece. We see Hoffa as a dominant figure, a lion, a leader. But these are deceptive subliminal messages, since the whole film is seen from a plexi-glass viewpoint. In fact, so icy is DeVito's direction, that when a riot breaks out at the very beginning, we watch from a bird's eye view as the little ant-like labourers clash with the police. It is insulting to the intelligence, and takes much away from the depth of the film, rendering it rather picturesque but unexplained. In fact, the entire film is like a museum piece behind velvet ropes, that can only be gazed at from a distance, but cannot be felt or examined closer -- as closer examination would reveal the plotholes and irrationalities of the storyline in the first place. Hoffa is generally treated as an American hero, the little guy who stood up for all the other little guys, the man who went to prison because the cruel Attorney General Kennedy (aptly performed by Kevin Anderson) would not allow him to skim a few bucks out of the pension fund for the Union he ran. Indeed, Hoffa did go to prison in real-life, and was pardoned by President Nixon, but the stipulation in the pardon was one which seemed to slip under Hoffa's nose. This, and his general trouble-stirring attitude (with Nicholson effortlessly portrays, sometimes even looking like a mirror-image of the real-life counterpart) would lead to his demise and mysterious disappearance in 1975. Perhaps had DeVito gone more into the life of the man, more into why he had the ambitions he did (there is absolutely no explanation for his being the president, in fact, he just seems to recruit labourers from various locals and then all of a sudden he is Mr. Universe), and why he was careless enough to make shady dealings with the Mob. In fact, nearly all of the story is mafia-backed but all of the credit is placed on Jimmy's shoulders. It is simply a waste of Nicholson's stellar performance.

5.5/10

The Fan (1996)

The sharpest guy in town

[21 December 2001]

Gil Renard is an unemployed knife salesman who has one burning ambition in life -- to be exposed as baseball's biggest fan, or, more accurately, as hitting sensation Bobby Rayburn's biggest fan. He will go to any length to protect his hero from the media and all other ramifications that stem from being paid an excessive $40,000,000 a year to play with the Giants. And this dedication to perfection, as his ex-boss puts it, is what leads to his partial schizophrenia and almost complete absorption into the world of an over-hyped celebrity. But when Renard realizes that his efforts and 'kindnesses' are not appreciated by his #1 idol, he turns on his role-model and viciously hunts him and his family down to the film's final climax.

7/10

Falling Down (1993)

Quick quality sums it up

[21 December 2001]

William (D-Fens) Foster is having a bad day, and in central Los Angeles 1993, things are going even worse. The 7-11 clerk refuses to lower the price of his merchandise. The freeway is stalled with traffic, bumper to bumper, and Foster is not about to wait in line like the rest of them. If this weren't enough, he is constantly mooched on and threatened by anonymous cutthroats and vagrants, causing his blood to boil steadily faster. Perhaps the incident in the military surplus store is the straw that breaks the camel's back. It is just a matter of time before D-Fens takes out the big guns and retaliates against the society which has wronged him.

6.5/10

Batman (1989)

The bat

[21 December 2001]

There is no question that this was the film to see in the summer of 1989. Complete with Kim Basinger, impressive belt-gadgets, the batmobile, an apparently insane joker (masterfully projected by Nicholson), and the dark, brooding figure of philanthropist millionaire Bruce Wayne (Keaton), it promised to be a highly entertaining film. Indeed, the first installment of the series is perhaps the most carefully planned out, with director Tim Burton focusing the movie on the darkness that dwells within the hero of the film, how he is a vigilante with capabilities far beyond the realms of the misplaced and easily-foiled footsoldiers of the Gotham police, and how he has a prestigious lifestyle which defies normal logic, at least when one considers that Wayne is not seen working a single day in the flick, only to emerge at night as Gotham's dark savior. Yet, Bruce Wayne is complex (self admittedly), and has much turmoil in his personal life. A loner at heart, he retains the services of an elderly and undoubtedly British butler, Alfred (Gough), who keep him company, but lacks the presence of a female in his life, or any person at all. He also appears to have a shattered childhood, with both parents having been murdered by another character who takes the spotlight in the film. As a result, the film is decidedly dark, with solid browns, beige overtones and some powder white/black shades on the clothing of the cast (the film is supposed to be set in the 1940s or 1950s, yet there are many anachronisms which conflict with this theory). The sequel to the film had a much more jubilant Keaton, who gladly took in the catwoman into his castle and permitted her to lick his paws clean. Perhaps this is why this film, the first in the series (which became more and more ill-conceived with each sequel), is arguably the best. The film has many climatic moments, some will actually make you shudder with surprise since most of the film is dialogue-based and is run at a low-tone (with the glaring exception of the joker, who steals every scene with his antics). The film's use of the singer Prince for much of music in its scenes demonstrates how Burton intertwined the modern-day mode of fashion in conjunction with the film's time span, probably the 1940s-1950s. Anachronisms aside, it is entertainment for the whole family, though the kids may nod off during the first half of the show.