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The Simpsons: Little Big Girl (2007)
A return to form during a drab season
While season 18 sees a notable drop in quality from 17, this episode sees a return to the form of the classic days.
Bart gets a drivers' license as a reward for putting out a fire, the starting of which, at Cletus and Brandine's chicken shed, was particularly inventive and fun in its presentation. He has a fun romantic plot with an older girl that has laughter and tenderness in equal parts.
The real fun though is with Lisa's subplot of faking Native American heritage to do well at a school project (claiming her roots are from the Hitachi tribe after spotting that as her microwave brand was particularly amusing). Almost prophetic in its subject matter and lingo (she even refers to "cultural appropriation") and with a cynicism and bite that mid-later Simpsons episodes often lack, this part of the episode makes the whole well worth checking out.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Good, but if only...
This is a good, uplifting musical that, had more care been taken with the screenwriting, could have been an all-time classic.
The music is quite excellent. A good mixture of up-tempo and meaningful numbers that all fit the mood nicely. The characterisations are all excellent as well; this film is well cast and performed.
The big hole in this film, for me, is the lack of backstory in the first third. We blitz from Barnum's childhood to the opening of his museum in what feels like a matter of minutes. This picture really needed 30-40 minutes of character work, detailing his upbringing, romancing of his wife and his early business ventures. There were just enough shots here and there to make the screenplay passable, but a production of his magnitude needs a script that is vastly more fit for purpose.
That additional 30-40 minutes of investment in Barnum's backstory would have taken the running time to around 2hrs 20mins, which, considering the length of some of the great musicals, would, as well as being perfectly reasonable, have lifted it from a good film to a great one. As it is, it's a pleasant way to pass a dark, gloomy night, but not much more.
Towards the end of the picture, Barnum's wife tells him, "I want the man I fell in love with." Hard for that line to make any impact on the audience when the lead couple's initial courting was glossed over so quickly..
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Decent biopic, but definitely not a classic
This was a good biopic and apparently faithful to the source material, which is to its credit.
However one can't read the over-abundance of gushing praise this has received from the professionals without getting just a whiff of politics and insincerity.
This is a good movie, but not a great one. Not one I'll remember much from in 5 years from now, for that matter. Good performances and some intense scenes, but just not enough there to call it a classic or anything.
Not enough work was done on Solomon's character prior to his enslavement. Just an additional 3-4 minutes or so of showing his personality whilst living his normal family life would have gone a long way towards building more sympathy throughout the picture. As it happens his character was bland and underdeveloped. Whatever 'groundbreaking' or 'daring' type of story you're trying to tell, the basics of storytelling still apply; in this instance, that's routine character-building.
The constant excess of the evil-doing of the slave-owners was too much. Of course some will say that's the point of the movie, but the point was more than well made. At times this veered into the realms of torture porn and that's not what I go to the movies for.
There were too many lingering shots of Solomon and/or the surrounding scenery during this movie. One or two would have been acceptable, but it literally felt like 2-3 minutes could have been trimmed off the film by dispensing with some of this overly-indulgent cinematography. Did I really need to see the poor fellow hanging from a tree for as long as I did? The point was already well made.
Whenever I watch a film, I like to ponder why it was made. This film clearly wasn't made to tell an interesting story, as it really wasn't that intriguing a plot. Man gets sold into slavery and gets out 12 years later after sending a letter. I can only deduce that the film was made to faithfully present a biopic, to drive home the horrors of slavery and, far worse, to attempt to make white folk feel a sense of shame for their history.
I can always appreciate a good biopic but do we really, in the 21st century, need a reminder of the injustices of slavery? That is a portion of history that everyone is well aware of, regrets and never wants to see a return of. If the filmmakers wanted white folk to feel ashamed of their history, as I strongly suspect they did, then that is an appalling and insulting reason to make a movie. And it's a form of exploitation that absolutely should not be rewarded with a Best Picture Oscar.
I feel shame when I think of the gross injustice of slavery and the millions of lives it's ruined, but I don't want or need a film to reinforce that for two long, gory hours. I don't want or need a movie to tell me how to think or feel; such is the social justice warrior world of the 21st century that we live in that filmmakers now seem to see that as one of their basic rights.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
This won Best Picture? Really?!
A very unusual choice for Best Picture winner, I really don't see what all the fuss is about with this movie.
The character work in the early going is so under-developed that I didn't give a fig who would win during the shootouts. The pace was so meandering that I nearly nodded off on occasions (1hr 50mins was spent on a story that probably could have been told in under an hour). A score of some description would have helped to alleviate some of the tedium.
The popularity of this one baffles me as much as The Big Lebowski. The Coen brothers must bring something to the table that I just don't see.
Stunning cinematography and a thoroughly engaging performance from Javier Bardem as the villain compelled me to give this film a 4/10 - I can't go any higher in good faith due to the thin plot, dreary pace and general lack of life and spirit in the picture. A shame really as all the pieces were there to make a memorable film.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Questionable morality mars otherwise excellent pugilist tale.
Good boxing movie with some tremendous performances, but the moral message of this film was appalling. By the end of the picture euthanasia was essentially glorified and that is absolutely not okay in any movie. The production code back in the golden age of cinema was there for a reason; to make sure the right sort of stories were told and the right sort of messages sent. I can't say I find a 'mercy killing' particularly moving or heartbreaking - I find it a deplorable indictment of the morality of the world that such an ending can be gushed over.
The scene where Maggie asked Frankie to put her out of her misery was moving and well done, couldn't the picture have just ended there? Seeing him actually do it was crass, unnecessary and left a bad taste in the mouth.
Peter Pan (1924)
Wonderful, faithful adapation
This is arguably the best translation of 'Peter Pan' to the big screen, and I say this almost 100 years after its release!
The story is as true to the original stage play as any other version filmed, with the dialogue on the inter-titles being particularly accurate, and acting performances are tender, sincere and all strike just the right note.
This film would be a fantastic introduction to silent cinema for anyone interested in getting a taste of it; and definitely one that would captivate the children. Highly recommended!
The English Patient (1996)
Strong movie, if a little underwhelming
Cinematically beautiful, well paced and superbly acted drama that kept me well engaged throughout. Despite this though, I was a touch underwhelmed due to the reputation this has as an Oscar-winning tearjerker. What holds this film back from greatness is the lack of likeability of the lead character. Don't get me wrong, Ralph Fiennes is on incredible form with the script he's given, but am I the only one that can't quite get behind a character that so blatantly and unscrupulously makes a play on a married woman? I was rooting more for Colin Firth to take him out with the duster than for the romantic leads to 'live happily ever after'. I just can't shed any tears for the woes of a pair of romantic leads that are so boldly engaging in adultery. That so many people have done I think speaks more about the decline in moral standards in society than anything else.
Wonderfully made picture, but the questionable morality holds it back from true greatness. The production code used to get stick back in the golden age, but it was there to make sure pictures were made to deliver the right messages.
Körkarlen (1921)
Masterful silent picture
This is an astonishingly good silent movie, with shades of a Christmas Carol. A surprisingly sophisticated and layered story, strong and well restrained acting performances and outstanding special effects for its day make this one of the best silent pictures I've seen.
This is highly recommended viewing for anyone looking to get into the captivating and addictive world of silent cinema!
Moonlight (2016)
Highly overrated
As it's Oscar season I've been working through all the movies that have ever won Best Picture. After watching this garbage I have lost all respect for the Academy and probably shan't bother watching whatever wins Best Picture this year. While I've had an account on here for quite a while, this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review, as I want to warn people off being conned by the Academy and all the 'professional' film reviewers that, frankly, should be ashamed of themselves (98% on Rotten Tomatoes? WTF??!!).
The main character is extremely one dimensional and dull. It's as if the writers decided that his personality is that he's gay. That's not a personality, that's a sexual orientation! That would be like saying that Tony Montana's personality is that he's straight.
The dialogue may well have been written be a child, as pretty much all of the subtext is spoken aloud; there's little by way of subtlety here.
I give the movie a 4 as the acting is very good and the cinematography is pleasant and easy on the eye. I've got no bad words to say about any of the cast; they're doing their best with what is clearly some very underwhelming material. And technically the film is well produced and edited.
This is not the worst movie in the world, far from it, but it deserves very strong critique if for no other reason than to counter the phoney, totally undeserved praise it's been receiving from so-called 'professional' reviewers. A film needs to be more than 'groundbreaking' or 'tackling tough issues' to get a good review from me. Before it is anything else, it has to be a good film. This film reminds me a lot of 'Rocky Horror'. People called that 'groundbreaking', but it was a terrible picture nonetheless.
And I'm not afraid to say that this movie was clearly up for so many Oscars as a political move. It's a sad indictment of modern times that to rag on a movie about a gay black man would leave one opened to being labelled "intolerant" and/or "unenlightened". If a movie sucks, one shouldn't be afraid to say it, regardless of its subject matter and ethnic makeup of its characters.
Do yourself a favour and give this film a pass.