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Doctor reviewed...
Deeply (2000)
Soggy love story of interest only to Dunst diehards. Here she sports… More
Soggy love story of interest only to Dunst diehards. Here she sports some young rugged beauty, enviable long golden hair, and among the worst Canadian accents ever heard. The location of this isolated fishing isle is never specified so, judging from the dialects, for a time I thought it was near Ireland until I began picking out the faces of some familiar Canadian actors. However all the musical cues are distinctly Irish, so who knows? Regardless, Kirsten sounds like she spent some misplaced deep-fried Southern time.
Part of the movie takes place in the present where we're supposed to sympathize with a sullen teenage brat (Julia Brendler); part of my brain was whispering "Jump!!" after she climbed in despair to the top of a lighthouse. She meets a crusty old unpublished author (Lynn Redgrave) who recounts her latest work, and that's the story that sluggishly plays out during most of the film. Writer/director Sheri Elwood touches upon a curse that plagues this fishing community every 50 years and hints at a dark secret to lift the curse, but nothing ever comes of the foreshadowing. Much of the rest of the script is similarly underwritten with only a couple characters gaining any foothold, but at least the vital ingredient of the budding romance between Dunst and naval captain's son Trent Ford works.
7 days ago via Flixster
Doctor reviewed...
Withnail and I (1987)
In late 1969 two heavy drinking London actor roommates, one a… More
In late 1969 two heavy drinking London actor roommates, one a malcontent and the other a misanthrope, decide to try and lift their spirits with a weekend's getaway at a wealthy uncle's country home. Unfortunately for them, the rain is nearly constant, they have no fuel for the stove, they believe they are stalked by a surly local poacher, and the wealthy uncle who is also a galloping homosexual shows up unannounced to put them both on edge.
For a cult classic, I find this one more cult and less classic. There are some undeniably funny bits, but the claims of "brilliant writing" and "sharp dialogue" are overstated. Here and there, yes. Sustained over 100 minutes, certainly not to this particular ear. From my point of view, the greatest value of Withnail and I is the inspiration it gave to other comedians and writers. In particular, the Withnail character (played with sardonic panache by Richard E. Grant) must've been the prototype for Dylan Moran & Graham Linehan's sour-tempered Bernard Black of the hilarious UK series Black Books. The similarities during the opening minutes with their filthy lifestyles and quirky turns of phrase are irrefutable.
Worth a watch, and for me once is fine.
12 days ago via Flixster
Doctor reviewed...
Domino (2005)
"Now why would a delicate thing like you want to be a goddam bounty… More
"Now why would a delicate thing like you want to be a goddam bounty hunter??"
"I want to have some fun."
Ultraslick, aggrandized biopic of model-turned-bounty-hunter Domino Harvey ranks among Tony Scott's more entertaining features. Wispy Keira Knightley convincingly grabs the spotlight in this brutish man's world with a brash & sexy portrayal through curled lip, icy tongue, and low-riding jeans. Mickey Rourke is also great as her boss & mentor. The screenplay focuses mainly on one job gone very wrong involving an armored car robbery, a reality TV show, the mafia, multiple cons, and a little girl's prohibitively expensive operation.
I liked how the movie is introduced as being "Based On A True Story. Sort Of." At least they are honest about taking liberties when their main aim is to entertain an audience. I loved the merciless ridicule of bygone TV show Beverly Hills 90210 and my favorite moment of the movie occurs when Knightley punches Brian Austin Green in the face, breaking his nose. Now that's worth standing up and cheering! On the downside, you get an extra caffeinated dose of Tony Scott's seizure-inducing editing, and the outrageous finale blows up any shred of believability. The opening titles are really nifty, and so are the closing credits with a cool surprise. All the actors are recounted with only their first names, which makes us wonder why, then we are introduced to the real Domino. She died shortly after the film was completed and it is dedicated to her.
"If you want to know what's the truth and what isn't, you can fuck off because it isn't any of your goddam business."
12 days ago via Flixster
