Reviews

This movie was hilarious! An all star cast singing and dancing in between the dialog. It has the usual Woody Allen premise of love lost angst on Woody's part. The plot twists and turns with love as its theme. The little nuances that are classic Woody Allen in the background, like the teenagers drinking hard liquor that no one is noticing, the stereo-typing of ethnic peoples, playing stick hockey in the fancy foyer, to name a few that have you looking for the absurd as if a game within the movie watching. Everyone is looking for ideal love except maybe not Alan Alda who has already found his in Goldie Hawn. The actual singing by the actors was not so good but that's what made the movie so perfect. The musical numbers and dancing were so campy it was excellent and entertaining. At times like watching the June Taylor Dancers including the over head camera shots. BRILLIANT! The Groucho Marx routine and party to follow was the best! A Great movie and should be up there with the top 10 Best Movies of all Times.....

The setting is a lovely Brooklyn apartment for the entire movie. Both couples appear to have wealth unlike the setting in "A Street Car Named Desire," but the entire movie is inside or just outside the nicely appointed apartment, to include a perfect arrangement of yellow tulips specifically purchased for the meeting of the 2 parents of 2 children that had an altercation in a park, where the host's child was the injured one. At 1st glance each couple is aligned with respective spouses as a united front to correct the wrong done to one child by the other, maybe an apology will be given? Maybe monies will be offered to settle this matter. Maybe the boys can be friends again? During the 80 minutes of this film, the forces change rapidly where the wives are against the husbands, and vice versa, where 3 gang up on 1, where alcohol adds another dimension to the dialog and truths start to spill by everyone about each other's character and parenting skills. Each person exposes themselves in an unattractive way so that clouds the real issue of making amends toward the injured child to the satisfaction of the parents. All wrapped up in 80 minutes!! AMAZING! Questions never answered at the end, is Penelope a recovery alcoholic? Is Nancy a current alcoholic, certainly her husband is a workaholic and is Michael truly a housewares/drawer pull salesman? Not only was I seconds to a panic attack but laughing at the next second. Terrific character development. Great cinematography. This should be placed next to the "classics" like "Street Car Named Desire" "Last Tango in Paris" "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Too bad this movie got so little attention, a MUST SEE!

At 1st view, I thought our sound didn't work on the DVD player, then so typical of Fellini, knowing this, he slowly adds little sound bites, then there is music and singing, then there is voice. Everyone on the ship is requested to be there by the dead opera singer's will to witness her ashes being blown at sea at her desired place 3 days sailing out. There is no point to this movie, a bunch of hodge podge scenes, each with their own uniqueness. But the sum doesn't add up, it is just vignettes (almost) on this crazy ship. It starts off in the dining room like a choreographed ballet. Everything is orderly, then as the days go on it is not so. Many scenes are hilarious, like the sing-off to the boiler room sweaty guys and the sweaty guys are really getting into it! Even to the point of singing and swaying to the music as if they would know opera! The concert of the glassware in the kitchen as the cooks are frantically preparing the meals was by far my favorite scene. Then there were refugees on the ship. Was Fellini privy to future conflict to happen in 10 years future? And a rhino in the ship's hold then needs a hose-down? Dis-jointed but yet like life, everyone has a story. The movie ends but you know everyone else's story doesn't. Great movie!

I decided to finally see this movie after learning of Maria Schneider's death this week. Marlon Brando is about as sexy as anyone can be and this is an old movie! Maria Schneider is awesome as she plays many levels of Jeanne being physically and psychologically seduced by the quirky character, Marlon Brando. The camera keeps jumping from present, past and insinuations of very past of Brando's character, Paul. What a movie! a must see! Secrets are revealed as the movie slowly creeps on. The scenes are dark and drab with no glory of anything luxurious of Paris life. As the movie flashes from past and present, the untold story unfolds. In the middle of this is Jeanne's quirky boyfriend/fiancé trying to make a fantasy movie/documentary of their life layered on top of the other life she is experiencing with Brando. Amazing how the puzzle pieces slowly snap together, and you, the viewer, finally see the entire picture for what its all about. Amazing.... great film even today almost 40 years later.

I just happened on this incredible documentary on Netflix. I always loved Harry Nilsson's music but I never knew anything about him. This documentary is really an extensive work of art, compiling all the film footage about Harry and the people who knew him best. Particularly interesting was the recording studio footage and old movies of him performing. For all the music he wrote and performed and for all the famous musicians that he ran with, I just don't ever remember hearing about him, (in the tabloids and the like) only his music. Who knew he lived life on the edge? Too bad this documentary didn't get much publicity, as it is truly excellent. Most of the people that can remember his music will truly never know who is the guy behind all those wonderful songs with that melancholy melodious voice. Thank you for showing some of us who Harry Nilsson was, the guy behind Everybody's Talking but not about Harry.

What a fabulous movie! Funny yet sad, dark humor then quirkiness and awkwardness having a glimpse of Larry's life. He is the glue for his dysfunctional Jewish family. He tries to do right for his family, for his religion, but no one else in his family and in his life is upholding their end of being a good Jew. No one else is living by Jewish law or any other law. The setting is Minnesota Jefferson Airplane time frame. The cinematography was superb. The little nuances in the manner of speech was perfect with the facial expressions of everyone during each scene was so right on. I haven't seen a movie quite like this in a very long time where everything clicks, body language, background music, dialogue, lighting and make-up/costuming. The Coen brothers capture that piece of American Jewish history perfectly. Even at the very end credits, No Jews were harmed in the making of this movie! Love this movie! A MUST see!

I have no idea why they named this movie such as this year is not a "leap year" but we did get ourselves into a new decade, leaping there, maybe? OK so not to bore with the usual scenario about the movie at this point but for me it was very predictable and boring. The movie trailers were so incredibly cute and funny that I just had to see this movie. BORING. Matthew Goode is real eye-candy with the back-drop of the gorgeous scenery of Ireland and his, I think, supposedly Irish accent. Amy Adams has been so perky and adorable on all the talk shows that enticed me to go to see this movie. I am not sure that the obnoxious Anna (Amy Adams) actually comes to terms of how annoying, self-centered and controlling she really is when the movie ends. She makes things seem to always go her way in her adult life even up through to the end of the movie. Yes she got mud on her fancy clothes and poop on her $600 shoes but no real scars of life for lessons learned. Good TV movie to watch if nothing else is cooking on FoodTV.

I happened to see this movie on HBO the other night. To me it was a ho-hum movie. Nothing exciting, rather the usual depressing stories of down and out people living in 5 different rooms of the famous Chelsea Hotel, all at the same evening in time. The movie is filmed as if from a cam-corder, at times, very under-lit. The jumping from one room and story to another was chaotic. This movie reminded me of a book "Life A User's Manual" by Georges Perec. Except the book was far better. In the book, each story was like part a giant jig-saw puzzle slowly connecting the lives of the people in a large Paris apartment building so in the end the final piece was placed, the entire story connected. Not so with this movie. It is missing several pieces of the puzzle. So nothing connected. It was all about individual lives. Their only common piece is the Chelsea Hotel. I know that historic hotel must have lots of stories to tell in those walls. Just these stories were not so unusual to keep the movie interesting. I kept waiting for somehow the movie to make its point and connect all the stories together, then it just ended. The actors were great. The soundtrack was marvelous! So for that it was worth 6 stars.

Since there are 43 reviews before me, I will spare the plot synopsis and review this film. I LOVED it! I loved the choreography! Everything about the dance numbers was phenomenal! Use of props (sand, tambourines,stairs etc) and the flashbacks to where the choreography and story originated from, music and singing. I LOVED Daniel Day-Lewis! He reminded me of a frustrated, out of control Italian super star. Marion Cottilard, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Penelope (who knew she could be so flexible??)Cruz, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench and Sophia... all-star cast each contributing to the story to build in the confusion and destruction of the movie director. Many have stated that the movie was confusing and chopped up. It had no focus or direction. To me that was the point. There was no story, the director was looking for a story that he never could find when he needed it. To me it was a movie within the movie. I loved the cinematography. Going back in time to black and white, going back into the dark side of the director, going between present and fantasy or past and present always coming back to the original movie set. VERY CLEVER! I think most of you missed the mark on this movie. Deserves recognition on a grand scale. I would highly recommend this movie especially if you enjoy these excellent actors, music and dance.

This movie gets funnier as the story unfolds. I haven't seen a movie as funny as this in too many years! 3 friends and the weird brother of the bride go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. When they wake up from a wild night on the strip, there is a baby and a tiger in their spectacular suite at Cesaer's Palace. Phil has a hospital name band on, Stu, the dentist, has lost a tooth and a valuable heirloom, Alan has lost his underwear (if that is what you call what he wears under his pants) and they have all lost the groom, Doug. The escapades to find Doug are over the top hilarious! As they retrace their steps through events and people, they find out happened and it just gets funnier. The ending credits are a must watch too! From start to finish, there is never a non-laugh moment... a pee-in-your-pants movie. A MUST SEE movie!

I just loved every aspect of this movie, the actors, including the children were excellent, the cinematography was superb and the story was dark like a Grimm Brothers fairytale, instead of in Bavaria, set in the slums of Mumbai. Jamal gets a spot on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." There are lots of questions, 1st is how can someone with such little education from the slums of Mumbai even answer 1 question on this game show, let alone ALL! For me the question is how does a child of the slums know enough written and spoken English to answer these questions? The 1st question is answered as the movie progresses. Each question is a flash-back into his childhood where he is able to find the "Millionaire" answer as the host of the show mocks him. The 2nd question has yet to be answered, or thought about? Be it as it may, there is a "witch" that gathers up hungry stray children unknowingly and brings them to a dark forest far away and feeds them well. The brothers are able to figure this captivity as dangerous and escape and the story goes on from there, continuing to meet the challenges of survival. The "witch" too continues to haunt them (at least Jamal is able to keep at arms length away, his brother not so) and Jamal ends up on "Millionaire." This movie deserved every award they received. It is wonderfully told. You get sucked into the story at 1st scene and are glued until the end. What I learned is if you are ever at the Taj Mahal, mind your shoes! A must see movie!

A sister is getting married (Rachel). The other sister is in rehab (Kym). The parents are divorced each with significant others. Add in other side characters and the stresses of getting married, and there has to be skeletons that come out to haunt. Everyone in this family has baggage and repressed hostility towards each other. The father is the peace-keeper of the family and Kym is the one who everyone has always tipped-toed around, not to set her off. She feels she is entitled to be the one who is at the center, she is the one who doesn't have to discriminate what comes out of her mouth. Instead of a wedding celebration it is Kym's pity party.

This movie left me flat, with nothing but a dysfunctional family all denying their real issues. I felt it was like a boxing ring. Everyone came forward to the center ring for the wedding then everyone retreated back to their neutral corners (waiting for the next round) at the end of the movie. Back to their same issues, same lives as before. The wedding party lasted far too long with no character development. The movie dragged on adding a few little hints of something that happened in the past and then explosions mostly between the sisters. Nothing was resolved in the end.

Everyone needs to be in therapy so that each can move forward and heal. Kym will always be facing the demons of her past including her addictions. She will never recover at this rate. Rachel is looking for happiness in a nice guy that she meets his family for the 1st time at the rehearsal dinner. So she is going into this marriage for all the wrong reasons. The husband to be and his family are invited into this mess unknowingly. His bother is video taping everything.... maybe to be used in a future therapy session?

The acting was terrific, maybe Anne Hathaway was alittle over the top. Other than that, the movie was rather boring, another dysfunctional family movie with lots of over the top drama. No one is being truthful to themselves let alone to each other. Rachel taps in on this but that idea is dropped quickly. There are other movies out there, if it is a boring, dreary day, then rent it.

Excellent movie (true story) based upon 1 obscure congressman (Tom Hanks) from eastern Texas that catches a glimpse of Dan Rather doing a human interest story in middle east while partying naked in a hot tub in Las Vegas securing future votes. Seems that the Russians have invaded Afghanistan and the Afghan people are under armed to defend themselves. Could it be that the CIA was asleep at the wheel as we find out 20 years later this happens again? Charlie Wilson, with the help of a wealthy socialite from Houston (Julia Roberts), subversively gets the arms/weapons needed to the Afghans for their defense using his connections in the Middle East that normally would not have even been in the same room with each other. Pakistan accepting weapons from Isreal? a little known fact until now. What amazed me is that Charlie Wilson always with a drink in hand and his bimbo looking harem of his office staff (jail-bait as he refers to them) was alert enough to spear-head this covert operation. One can only wonder what kind of a congressman he would have been not under the influence? Philip Seymour Hoffman was superb as the CIA person assigned to this project. His wit was full of sarcasm not totally appreciated by Charlie Wilson. Amy Adams, his office assistant, was perfectly cast, keeping everything in motion in a focused direction. The result of this story leads us to where we are today in Afghanistan. This movie was entertaining, humorous yet serious. So to answer the question Where in the world was Michael Moore? he was making his unbiased documentary at the Hormel meat packing plant in Wisconsin, far from the reality of how the middle east conflict was shaping up to affect us 20+ years later.

I just saw this quirky movie today on cable. At 1st I thought I was watching a documentary the way is was unprofessionally filmed. But I got used to the unsteady camera and its chosen angles. It is a comedy, of sorts, about a road trip with a guy, his girlfriend and his not-so-normal weirdo brother to fetch a nostalgic Lazy-boy chair (won on auction at e-bay) for his father's birthday. Not terribly exciting, very predictable story line so I'm confused about the rave reviews. If you have nothing to do on a dreary Sunday afternoon and live in the Northeast (c'est moi) then watch this movie. I gained nothing from the boring story. Maybe the lesson I learned is buyer beware when purchasing something from e-bay? Watching a movie I like to take away something even just pure pleasure, can't say that about this flick.

I had never heard of this movie and found it on IFC tonight. The acting, even the supporting actors, and cinematography were excellent. It starts off slow and joyous with everyone arriving for the patriarch's 60th birthday party and then the movie takes off. Hold on tight as around each turn the story continues to unfold with each character playing a pivotal role unraveling each layer of themselves. The characters that arrive in the beginning you soon figure out are no longer the same ones that we end up with. I think the only person I liked from start to finish was Lars, the front desk clerk. He stayed true to his character through out. We know no more about him now than in the beginning. This movie reminds me of The Piano Teacher. Dark with complex characters that could fill any analyst's couch. GREAT Movie!

I Love Indy films and foreign films. I do appreciate their quirkiness and non-mainstream story/filming. This is not one I would run out and purchase for my video library and invite everyone over to watch it over and over. It drags on and on where no one can articulate anything, not even a clear thought. Maybe that is funny? or haha on me. It has the premise of figuring out life day in and day out post college pre-marriage. Hum-drum. Others have done this and perfected this like Larry David but he is funny and Woody Allen as he is not only funny but clever. Both of these self-visualization directors have a resolve at the end. This movie misses the mark on all. It was like watching a home movie- so many parts of the scenes were hard to visualize or focus on (too much close-up not that the movie was "out of focus"). Now that was interesting as the filming technique parallels each characters' life. Though that may not be the depth this director was going for. If the US Open Tennis finals are on the TV and this is too, watch the tennis. It has humor, drama, real life and a resolve.