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k4man123
Reviews
The McCourts of Limerick (1998)
enjoyable even if you haven't read the books
You can definitely get the sense of Irish storytelling in the brothers. Especially Frank's story of being sentenced to death for stealing apples and Malachy's story of his father visiting a magical spring. Tearing up at how he was unable to find it later as an adult.
Overall, these are stories and allegories for their lives. How phrases of "going up the hill" and living next to the latrine mean more than their literal meaning and shaped their psyches. They have some clips of the brothers' plays. I would've enjoyed longer ones.
Better than the sequel. That seemed to focus more on their mother while this seemed to center around their father.
The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
Typical Sayles
What I love about Sayles is that he never forgets that first and foremost, movies should tell stories.
This one is a real gem in the rough. It has the irreverence and SciFi conventions of Barry Sonnenfeld's MIB but with social commentary instead of a budget. Also, instead of merely clever comments on NYC life, Sayles shows his characteristic political side by highlighting little tableaux of real life. Slipping in the Harriet Tubman subplot was pure Sayles.
I especially loved his usage of music and the chemistry of the barroom regulars. That fight with the MIB was a hoot! Sayles, a Corman vet, knows that special effects shouldn't be used for the sake of having them.