phils_phan Reviews

Nobody (I) (2021)

Fun premise turned too predictable

[6/10 · 26 April 2022]

Ok I was all in for "Everyman overcomes thieves and wins the day"! But I felt totally cheated that he was a former FBI agent who had chosen to get out of that line of work and live a quiet life. Bonus points for Christopher Lloyd getting into the action. Loved wife's ending line to realtor: "does it have a basement?" We didn't need the over the top Russian part. But I guess that's how the balance was made. If he was Everyman, he could never hope to defeat that. Oh well.

Valley Girl (2020)

Ugh so bad

[3/10 · 12 September 2020]

Casting: horrible. Starting with the 30 year old high schoolers casting!!! I didn't buy the chemistry between randy and Julie for one second. Sad. Liked the Alicia Silverstone tie in. That's it. This was a truly poor movie.

Gloria Bell (2018)

Julianne is such a great actress BUT

[7/10 · 18 February 2020]

BUT!! Her character is strange, off-putting, unable to connect, devoid of empathy. It's the story of what happens after the divorce and the kids are grown, and you are no longer needed. It's apparently a monotonous bore! She breaks up the boredom going to a disco bar. Regarding the Vegas trip, If my boyfriend's family member slashed their legs in an accident, I wouldn't pout and expect him to stay and enjoy the vacation. No one could. He shouldn't have snuck out, but that's his MO. Please explain where her luggage went from Caesar's? I guess she lost her phone and wallet on her night out with Sean Astin? And what a selfish person to make her mom retrieve her from Vegas. Presumably she slept on the Caesar palace couch for hours waiting. If she had no wallet how did she fly home. Interestingly, I rated this a 7 because I love JM, and John Turturro was great.

Realive (2016)

This was pure tripe

[3/10 · 8 December 2018]

Good grief. Why. Why why why. The concept of cryogenics is such a fascinating topic. This movie makes it boring and incredibly tedious. An over privileged spoiled man freezes self when he has a terminal illness and when he's reanimated as the first successful one, he's whiny and dull and unappreciative. Even worse we have to listen to his monologue (soooo dull) over the film and watch his sadistic memories as a kid (lizard shooting? Chicken beheadings? Mean preteen friends?). He doesn't deserve to be reanimated. Then he's told that his life long love never got over him and froze herself at age 50 in hopes to join him in the future. So what does he do? He lets her tank unfreeze so she'll never be able to be reanimated. Afraid she'll be too old for him??? How terribly selfish and cruel. Gimme a break. Can someone write a better movie on this great subject matter please?

The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (2003 TV Movie)

not a great movie

[4/10 · 25 June 2004]

I rented this movie at BlockBuster since I do love Gena Rowlands. It seems she always has to play the dying grandmother types. The story was very choppy and there was too much of the film spent showing how the lead boy, Charlie, is misguided and not nearly enough showing how he becomes close with Gena. In addition, Kevin Zegers did not shine as an actor. As matter of fact, Zegers, the man who played his father and the woman who played his mother were pretty dreadful and lacked Gravitas. So that detracted from the movie quite a bit. Overall it felt very amateurish. The men who played Gena's sons were wonderful however! They really were quite touching. Overall, I gave it 4 of 10 stars.

A Family Affair (2001)

A Michele Green Triumph

[6/10 · 12 January 2004]

This movie felt very amateurish, but that's probably what was intended. Michele Green caught my attention from the get-go and was extremely good as the spurned lover. I had no idea it was Abby Perkins from LA Law until I watched disk 2 on the DVD extras. A very good turn for her. By her own admission she feels boxed in as an actress with casting directors not being able to see her beyond Abby-types. Hopefully that will change. Helen Lesniak was decent, and watch-able, but looked much older than 34 and not young enough to be the daughter of Arlene Golonka, but perhaps Arlene is just extremely young looking! I really enjoyed Arlene's performance and that of Barbara Stuart. Good casting there. I also thought Erica Shaffer was good, but truly, I couldn't see much attraction between her and Helen. They didn't seem compatible at all. I wouldn't recommend this film to everyone, but I did enjoy it. 6/10 stars.

Alex & Emma (2003)

This movie was terrible

[4/10 · 6 January 2004]

This movie was horrible. Weak, boring, too predictable plot. Bad acting. A RomCom gone wrong. I wouldn't have watched the whole thing were it not for my love of Luke Wilson - I can forgive shortcomings when it comes to him. I wonder how this movie even got off the ground. Better luck next time, Rob!

Serving Sara (2002)

This movie was quite horrid!

[3/10 · 2 June 2003]

I rented this movie last week knowing it got poor ratings, but deciding that it was worth seeing Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley - both normally extremely charming actors. Unfortunately, Matthew Perry had zippo personality and was utterly uncharming. That was very interesting to me since how hard would it have been to grab some of his "Chandlerisms" and toss them into the part? Or is that all he can do?

Elizabeth Hurley was better, but not good enough.

A poor, poor film altogether. Boring plot, boring execution of boring plot, boring writing. Need I go on?? I wonder why they agreed to do the film in the first place. Maybe the script read better than it played. But anyway, there is not one reason to pay a single cent to watch this movie!

Valley Girl (1983)

Nicolas Cage's best role

[8/10 · 16 March 2003]

This movie is one of my all time favorite movies and is what made me a lifelong Nicolas Cage fan. Back in the mid-80's I taped this movie (when VCR's were impossible to do this with!!) and would watch it over and over. Nicolas Cage is just brilliant here. And, he looks wonderful and has no affecting "acting-isms" (see "Peggy Sue Got Married" to know what I mean about that!!). I measure all his performances against this one. He was so perfectly cast as the cool punk guy with the edgy friends. The music was GREAT. The Plimsouls! The Psychodelic Furs! Modern English! Men At Work! Whenever I hear "Melt With You" I am taken back to the finale of this movie.

What ever happened to his cute costar, Deborah Foreman? And his hysterical friend, Cameron Dye? Certainly took a different turn than Nicolas! Interestingly, the slutty friend (Elizabeth Daily) ended up being the voice of Tommy from the Rugrats (she is billed as E.G. Daily for that horrid show)! Bizarre!

IF you want to take a great trip back to the 80's, watch this movie. It is definitely a classic. Like Totally!

Born Romantic (2000)

Craig Ferguson Fan, but his presence is not enough to help this movie

[6/10 · 3 March 2003]

I rented this movie looking for a romantic comedy and knowing nothing about it other than it starred Craig Ferguson. I am a big fan of his, but this movie was not one that he should be proud to put on his resume! As another reviewer pointed out, there are too many subplots and not enough time to get into any of them. It was ninety minutes of drivel, truth be told. The only part that I enjoyed (which did not belong in the film one iota) was when Craig Ferguson sang in a nightclub accompanied by a band. He sounded great! While no single actor did a bad job, the material they had to work with was just subpar. Nothing fresh was done in the area of romantic comedies and the whole thing was just dull. Don't get this one! Get "Saving Grace" instead! Or "Greenfingers". Or "The Mean Machine". All 3 are in the new release section of your video store and are British movies that are much better.

Lovely & Amazing (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal will be typecast!

[7/10 · 2 January 2003]

SPOILER: Here Jake Gyllenhaal reprises his role as the adolescent roue who somehow ends up bedding the lead (and much older actress) as he does here with Catherine Keener and with Jennifer Aniston in "The Good Girl". He is perfectly cast, though, with his dark sultry looks and scary wild eyes.

That distracting fact aside, this movie was wonderful!

The real life connection between Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney (real life marrieds) could have been exploited, but wasn't. Disappointing!

The only criticism I have is that the movie has no ending. SPOILER: You don't know if Ms. Keener will have to go to jail, or how her relationship with her husband ends up. The other actors' stories have missing endings as well. I guess that is the arty thing to do, but still, that was quite annoying to me!!

Brenda Blethyn isn't on camera enough and Emily Mortimer was fresh and truly lovely and amazing. I always love Catherine Keener's quirkiness, too. Brenda Blethyn really wasn't old enough (only 14 years her senior) to be the mother of Catherine, though, which really confused me at the outset of the movie when they were establishing the characters.

But all in all, I rated this movie a 7 out of 10. I recommend "The Good Girl", too!!

Happy Accidents (2000)

Happy Combination of Romance and Sci-Fi

[8/10 · 2 January 2003]

This movie wasn't given a big opening as far as I can tell, since I had never heard of it until I saw 2 copies of it at my local video store. But, it should have been more heavily hyped! Marisa Tomei is fabulous in this as is her friend played by Nadia Dajani. Marisa Tomei's character is a neurotic New York City woman who has the knack of always picking the wrong guy, until she meets Vincent D'Onofrio's character and initially things seem different from her past mistakes. Right away I thought his character was telling the truth, but others I have spoken to have thought that Marisa's character was right in thinking that Vincent was a crazy loon! The movie has a wonderful ending with Marisa's therapist. I loved that they completely confirmed who was crazy and who wasn't!!! Really different, really fun film.

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Great Prison Film

[8/10 · 21 August 2002]

For some odd reason, I happened to watch Escape From Alcatraz, Shawshank Redemption, Papillon, and The Rock all within a few weeks. It is quite interesting to compare the first 3 movies. (The Rock is just about a standoff at Alcatraz, and is not a prison movie per se.) I loved all 3 movies and would recommend all 3 very highly. This movie, Escape From Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood and one of my all time favorite actors, Fred Ward, is a study in patience and biding one's time. Clint is patient, watches, and learns how to fool the guards and management. He is cool, slick, (did I mention handsome), and smart. We don't care why he is prison, only that it is imperative he get out! Great movie. Go watch it! If I had to rank the 3 it would be: 1) Papillon (9.5 stars), 2) Shawshank (9 stars), and 3) Escape From Alcatraz (7.5 stars).

Papillon (1973)

What a wonderful movie

[10/10 · 21 August 2002]

This movie is often seen on AMC (American Movie Classics). It is not to be missed. The movie is easily one of the best I have ever seen. Even if it is not exactly a true story (it was revealed that the particulars may have been gleaned from several different prisoners, not just Henri Charriere), it is none the less a fascinating tale of life in (and out!) of the French Guyanan prison. The scenes at the leper colony and at the end of the film on the island with Dustin Hoffman are truly unique. Steve McQueen was born to play this role. Dustin Hoffman was equally enjoyable. I just noticed that Vic Tayback was in this movie, although I didn't notice that before. Bill Mumy (the boy from Lost in Space) is also in it. There is so much going on that the whole movie seems to fly by. I highly recommend this movie.

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

Thought it was quite enjoyable!

[6/10 · 19 August 2002]

This movie was perfect for the under 12 years of age crowd. My two daughters, aged 11 and 7, loved it! I loved it less so, but it still was quite entertaining. Who even knew Ricardo Montalban was still alive and well?? Antonio Banderas looked extremely wonderful, but I think Carla Gugino is too young for that part! Steve Buscemi is absolute favorite of mine, but was definitely under used here! Take this movie as it presents itself: a kids only action flick! Cool amusement park rides, fun creatures and gadgets is what this movie has to offer. Actually, I'm not sure why any headlining adults are in this movie at all, quite frankly, given their extremely small screen time. On another note, Alan Cumming must be an extremely bizarre person. How and why he chooses his movie scripts is quite beyond me (Spy Kids 1 and 2, Josie and the Pussycats, SpiceWorld, Romy and Michelles' HS reunion!).

Superstar (1999)

This movie was very enjoyable!

[7/10 · 20 May 2002]

As a huge Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell fan, I very much enjoyed this movie. Taking the movie at face value, it was extremely amusing. No, it isn't a deep movie, but it was a fun movie. Molly Shannon was terrific as was Will Ferrell and Harland Williams. I laughed quite a bit.