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WellnessGuy
Reviews
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Deserves a better rating
Currently rated at 6.5 on IMDb. Too many poor movies in the range 5.5 to 6.5. And some truly abysmal ones.
This is not a poor movie. It has it's flaws, particularly the handwriting discovery towards the end - just not believable. But all round this is a good movie. Don't discard it based on the current IMDb rating. It is definitely worth watching.
Both Freeman and Judd turn in great performances, as does Cary Elwes. Jeremy Piven and Tony Goldwyn put in their usual competent work, but they only appear briefly. The storyline has some nice twists, too.
There are lots of good reviews here if you want to know more about the film. Mine is just to encourage you to not dismiss it out of hand.
All Is Lost (2013)
Fantastic performance but irritating script flaws
All Is Lost is an OK movie but not a great movie. It's worth watching, but be prepared to be irritated along the way. Robert Redford's performance (within the confines of the script) is fantastic. The movie is well worth watching just for that. Plus a movie with no dialog that can hold your interest so well is an unusual feat. I enjoyed the movie, but at the same time was frustrated by it.
I'm no sailor, but the idea of someone setting out single-handed on a journey like this with so little in the way of basic equipment is just unbelievable. He has one radio. No backup. So when the radio gets damaged he's automatically in trouble. His satellite phone gets wet and doesn't work. Even I, a complete amateur and no sailor, would know enough to put my satellite phone in a baggie. Surely that's basic. Myself I'd have two phones, one at each end of the boat. And both in baggies!
Why does he never run the motor? Even in the storm. Do boat batteries permanently fail if they get wet? That sounds like a bit of a failure in design. I'm sure there are emergency systems for producing potable water, including one's that fit in small life rafts. And setting fire to the life raft! What was that about?
If he didn't have enough fiberglass to properly patch that hole he shouldn't have left port.
I could go on and on. This sailor is pitifully unequipped. Not even a simple two-way radio to hail nearby shipping.
So, I was enthralled by the performance and the concept, but unimpressed by the script's lack of basic common sense.
Romeo & Juliet (2013)
OK but not great
Spoiler alert – But who doesn't know the story anyway! This was a better film than I expected. But I had some gripes.
For one, Fellowes cut out my favorite line! When Juliet's mother asks her if she would like to be wed, Juliet should reply 'It is an honor I dream not of.'
But they cut the line! And it's such a great one. She is young and has no wish to marry so early, yet she doesn't want to offend her mother.
Then there was the balcony scene. Unfortunately, like so many high school Juliets before her, Hailee Steinfeld put the wrong emphasis on the first line of the balcony scene. She says 'werefore art thou, Romeo' - as if she were wondering where he was. The line isn't supposed to have that comma. It's supposed to mean 'why are you called Romeo', not 'where are you, Romeo'!
Then she delivers the rest of the balcony scene monologue in a virtual monotone. The beauty and passion of the speech is lost.
Her acting improved later in the movie. But the balcony scene, one of the most iconic scenes ever written, rather misses the mark in this version.
Mercutio got a bad deal in this movie – I missed John McEnery's passionate delivery. And Benvolio seemed a bit too young, though he acted well.
The bedroom scene was surprisingly chaste, considering it was made in 2013. The denial, and the urgency and sadness, of the morning scene wasn't really there, though.
In the mausoleum, Juliet waking up BEFORE Romeo dies is a bit odd. And her suicide with the dagger wasn't too convincing.
The script reminded me of the comparison between the King James bible and the modern English versions. Easier to understand but lacking the beauty of the poetry. I expected better from Julian Fellowes.
All in all, the movie works quite well and the locations and filming are spectacular. It's a good introduction to the play, especially for young people, but not as memorable as it could have been.