Roll-M: Movie Reviews

by Susan Sackett 

  Twice a year, like dandelions broadcasting their seed on the wind, Hollywood movie studios release a flock of films.  These mass releases tend to cluster in six-month, holiday-related periods, notably of July and Christmas.  The winter season is especially hectic, as the studios rush to get their Oscar® contenders into theatres in time to qualify for the awards the following Spring.  So once again, I am please to bring you more Thumbnail Reviews.

All the Pretty Horses

What it’s got:  Gorgeous cinematography; convincing acting by Matt Damon; a grown-up Henry Thomas (“ET phone home”), and the ethereal Penelope Cruz, used here mainly as window dressing.  What it needs:Cutting. Billy Bob Thornton’s direction is sloooow and the movie (and I use that term loosely) is about ˝ hour too long; the scenes are too protracted, the lines too drawn out with Big Dramatic Pauses. Also, there’s not much story.  Damon and Thomas, as two Texan ranch hands making their way through Old Mexico in 1949, meander from one scene to the next, but a more defined plot would have helped.  Rated PG-13.  Two owls out of five

Cast Away:

What it’s got:  Probably the best performance Tom Hanks has ever given.  If he never does another picture, he can retire happy, knowing that he gave this tour-de-force his all.  Who but Hanks could convincingly play opposite a volleyball?  This is a tale of a castaway, but we’re definitely not on “Gilligan’s Island.”  What it needs:  A better ending.  Hanks is in his element when he was stranded and surviving by his wits.  Perhaps the producers shouldn’t have voted him off the island!  Rated PG-13. Four and one half owls.

The Family Man:

What it’s got:  Nicholas Cage, in a surprisingly warm-hearted role as a Ferrari-driving Manhattan power broker who thinks he’s got it all.  In a “Quantum Leap” kind of twist, he awakes to find himself in an alternate life with a wife, kids and a bowling league.  It’s fascinating to watch Cage’s transformation.  What it needs:  Annual re-release.  This is destined to become a Christmas classic!  Rated PG-13.  Five Owls!!

Finding Forrester:

  What it’s got:  Connery, Sean Connery.  Yes, that sexy senior is back as Forrester, a reclusive, curmudgeonly J.D. Salinger-type, who somehow has made his home in the Bronx, surrounded by black neighbors, including newcomer Robert Brown as Jamal, a sensitive youth who becomes Forrester’s literary protégé.  Connery’s performance transcends the dull material.  What it needs:  Better pacing.  This is a laboriously slow story without much happening except for the performances.  Rated PG-13.  Two and one half owls.

Miss Congeniality

What it’s got:  A pleasant turn by Sandra Bullock, whose comedic timing helped earn her a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as a klutzy, tomboy-FBI agent turned beauty pageant entrant (to foil a terrorist plot). This movie is just plain funny, with many laugh-out-loud scenes.  Michael Caine, as Bullock’s personal Pygmalion, is outstanding.  What it needs:  A little less slapstick-y ending.  Rated PG-13. Four and one half owls.

State and Main:

  What it’s got:  Great writing (David Mamet), great cast, including Sarah Jessica Parker, William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin.  The story of how a Hollywood movie crew on location trashes a small Vermont town is fun and fairly true-to-life.  As in industry insider, I found myself laughing alone a few times – some of the jokes seemed to go over the audience’s heads – but this shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying the film.  What it needs:  More publicity, wider release.  This film is a sleeper, playing only at the Camelview (at press time).  It’s not for everybody, but I’ll wager most Mensans will revel in it!  Rated R    Four owls

Vertical Limit

  What it’s got:  Moments when you will definitely be holding your breath.  Some great action scenes and special effects help make this film about a determined brother (Chris O’Donnell) on a rescue mission to save his sister, stranded on K-2, a bit above average.  What it needs:  Less angst from the over-emoting O’Donnell.  Tense drama at its best, but there are some hokey moments.  Rated PG-13. Three owls.