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Reviews
Happiness (1998)
He Saw, He Came, And He Announced It To The World
This somewhat Allenesque film concerns itself with rather bizarre family problems and pushes the envelope in dealing with taboo subjects. Actually, the frank sexual discussions were unnerving at times and made me uncomfortable--probably one of the points the film attempts to make: real problems like these exist in dysfunctional families that otherwise pass for normal. The toast to happiness that occurs is ironic because all of the female characters sitting around the table have yet to find happiness or have lost what little happiness they thought they possessed. More ironic is the fact that Ben Gazzara's character (the only male at the table) passes up his daughter's offer to find someone for him. Might one of the messages of this film be that the male's penis is its own source of ultimate happiness? That question may seem odd but once you've seen the film it will make more sense. This is an interesting but somewhat strange movie. The acting is uncomfortably credible. Todd Solondz, who wrote and directed, did a brilliant job--what might have been mere offensive caricature in less skilled hands are flesh and blood characters, quite believable, with a poignant story to tell. The mix of humor and pathos is presented in perfect counterpoint lending lively rhythm to the film's pace that is further enhanced by artful editing.
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998)
Amusing, Light-Hearted Movie Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously
I doubt that this film was intended to make any serious social commentary other than, perhaps, that gays are quite capable of poking fun at themselves.
The movie was funny and amusing. The singing trio that's a running gag throughout the film is hysterical. The spoofs on classic films and the movie-like dream sequences were at times side-splitting.
I thought the film possessed a certain serious subtext but it never competed with the comedic intent of the script. The actors were flawless in their understated deliveries of their often witty lines. Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss is a delightful film that should be seen and enjoyed by gays and straights alike.
Julia (1977)
Sensitive portrayal of great heroines.
This fine film is charged with energy and drama. Fonda portrays the essence of Lillian Hellman's idealism with great verve, understanding, and sensitivity. The film is an accurate adaptation of Hellman's story of her friend Julia and her involvement with the European resistance movement of the 1930s, as Hellman reminiscences in her book, Pentimento (1973). Hellman was among those hunted in real life by Senator Joseph McCarthy's anticommunist witch-hunt investigations of the 1950s. She refused to name names, stating in a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on un-American Activities, "I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions" (May 19, 1952). The film is a magnificent portrait of two courageous women unwilling to compromise their beliefs and values. Jason Robards is superb as novelist Dashiell Hammett, with whom Hellman had a life-long relationship until his death in 1961.