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A recent independent hit, directed by actors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, this is a film that shows that there is an outstanding alternative to big-budget extravaganzas. Tucci and Tony Shaloumb play two Italian brothers, who own a restaurant on the edge of being closed down, for lack of funds. One of the reasons for their hard times, is because of the fancy restaurant just down the street. So, in hopes of getting good business, the brothers set up a lavish feast, full of the finest mouth-watering foods ever to be seen. Of course, things can go wrong with such a preparation, and do!An excellent work of cinema, that is a feast for the eyes (literally and figuratively). Full of good humor, fun and excitement, this is truly a great film to watch. The subplots involving Tucci's two different lovers (Minnie Driver and Isabella Rossellini) and the restaurant boss from down the street (Ian Holm), provide some memorable moments. Everybody, including Tucci, Shaloumb, Driver, Rossellini, Holm and Scott (in a cameo appearance as a car salesman) give realistic and deeply fascinating performances. I think this is one movie you shouldn't pass up.
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Despite the fact that this is one of the most brutal films since Seven, it is also one of the best movies of 1996. Based on the controversial best seller by Lorenzo Carcaterra (and supposedly based on a true story), the movie follows the lives of four friends through two stages of their time together. The first part deals with their time as children at Hell's Kitchen in the 1960's, imparting the expected assortment of childhood pranks. One day, one of their practical jokes goes awry, when they nearly kill a man. Because of this incident, they are sent to a brutal reform school which changes their world forever. Flash forward to 1981! Two of the childhood chums grow up to be big time criminals. They meet up with the guard (Kevin Bacon) who applied brutal torture to them while they were in the reform school. They take out their revenge on Bacon in their typical cold blooded fashion.Now they are on trial, and the third member of the gang (Brad Pitt) is the prosecutor. However, Pitt has taken the case, because it's all part of a plan for him to lose the case, get his buddies off and condemn the guards that tortured him and the school in which it happened. Helping him out on this interesting crusade is the remaining member and narrator of the story (Jason Patric) and a fatherly priest (Robert De Niro), who will do anything to help out his friends. Even commit perjury! (This part of the story-fabrication is what garnered the most outrage from the Catholic church)!! A truly compelling story with an outstanding cast. Kudos go to De Niro. And Dustin Hoffman as the defendants' alcoholic lawyer is magnificent. They are both quite excellent (I do not hesitate to add as always) and Pitt, Patric and Bacon hold up impressively well next to them. The two great things about this is: a)None of the actors attempt to upstage each other. Hoffman, Pitt and De Niro (always known for their scene-stealing roles) are quite restrained and courteous of the other actors around them. b)The film avoids cliches. This does not resort to the typical prison-courtroom dramatics. The screenwriting is brilliantly fresh and original. Those things alone are worth going to see this for. I think I should also not neglect to mention the great cinematography and the crisp editing job, as well as the great directorial work by Barry Levinson (Rain Man). I'd have to say that this is the best of the fall season...so far.
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A slow, dreary biopic of teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa (Jack Nicholson) couldn't be any more pointless and unworthy of seeing. It follows Hoffa's life, from his union work to his shady dealings with the mob. It also speculates on how Hoffa disappeared, though you have to wait till the very end to see what director-co-star Danny De Vito had in mind. By then, you may have gone to sleep.An incredibly overblown production, which is as far from the truth about Hoffa's life as you can get. Nicholson does offer an outstanding performance though. The script by David Mamet is full of holes so big, you'd need about 100 bulldozers to fill them in. In short, if you watch this film, you're in for a wasted night.
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Not only is this one of the finest documentaries ever made, it is also an hysterical satiric look at corporate America. Michael Moore (The director) went back to his hometown of Flint, Michigan to record the hard times falling upon the town, thanks to the closing of various General Motors plants. The closing of the plants put nearly 40,000 people out of work and Moore got mad. So he fought back in one of the better ways that fights can be fought. With a camera! Moore also went in search of GM chairman Roger Smith, in an attempt to get Smith to realize what the closing down of the plants is doing to the workers.Among the various people Moore meets in Flint, many who offer moments of humor and reflection, the two most memorable members of the town are the cynical deputy sheriff and the eccentric "rabbit lady", who sells rabbits as either pets or meat as a source of income. One of the most haunting images of the films (and one that was heavily attacked by General Motors as being "manipulative) shows the callousness of GM, as Chairman Smith reads A Christmas Carol at GM's annual Christmas gathering. At the same time this reading is going on, Moore shows deputies evicting a jobless GM worker and his family. Adding insult to injury, the deputies throw the family Christmas tree into the gutter with all their personal possessions. So much for a fine GM family Christmas.
Moore, one of the best satirists of today, shows the chain reaction a corporation can cause with the layoff of their work force. Crime went up in Flint; the town was named the absolute worse place to visit; and Moore's attempts to meet Roger Smith continued to fail time and time again. Roger Smith did meet him, but only for a moment, and he didn't have much time to have any substantial discussion with Moore. But despite the rather bleak ending, there is the fact that Moore did get his revenge on GM after all. This film is it. He showed what the little guy can do to the big man on top, with a little chopping down of the big guy. And he did it all his whittling with a camera and a dash of American cynicism!
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I knew the moment I saw this incoherent comedy from Tommy Chong, that the era of Cheech & Chong was over. Chong is attempting to be funny solo, but is in desperate need of Cheech for this one. An aging hippie goes on a road trip, in search of his lost family. He meets up with his "straight" son (Paris Chong, Tommy's real-life son, who is far from straight in this movie) and together they go off to see America.A labored attempt to bring his family together (wife Shelby and daughter Rae Dawn have roles here), and an incredible waste of time for anybody. The only time they should show this film, is when your doing time for murder. Believe me, that will be punishment enough for ANYBODY.
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A dull, lifeless kiddie film, that won't even charm the Saturday morning crowd. It involves a group of dinosaurs, who are brought from the prehistoric past and dropped into modern day New York. Of course, they cause havoc, though not because they're mean and dangerous. Because thanks to the time-traveling aliens (!) who brought them here, now they're just a bunch of cute, clumsy, yet lovable lugs.A pretty dreary attempt to capitalize on the success of Jurassic Park and other dinosaur films of the past. This film will put everybody to sleep. If it's not interesting enough for two-year olds, you know something's wrong!
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The first fiction film by director Michael Moore, this little seen comedy is actually quite funny. If you understand the petty prejudices that US Americans and Canadian Americans have for each other. This movie rips those stereotypes wide open. First, the story: The current president of the US (Alan Alda) decides that, because of lack of enthusiasm for the presidency among the US American people, he should begin a cold war with our neighbors to the north. However, a shooting war might start, thanks to an inept Niagra Falls sheriff (John Candy in his last role) and his tough deputy (Rhea Perlman).Though this was heavily panned by the critics, they must not have understood the interplay of prejudices that Canadian Americans and US Americans have for each other. Moore is just as fine a fiction filmaker as he is a documentary filmaker. The editing is a little scattershot and not every gag works, but the actors all do a fine job. It's heartbreaking to think that Candy couldn't live to see people enjoy his first class role. He got the job done and did it well. I recently had the good fortune to meet Michael Moore at a lecture in Minneapolis. He strikes me as a type of man who has a lot to be angry about, but on the other hand, he has a fantastic sense of humor about it all. Needless to say, I had a good time. You'll have a good time, if you rent (as a double-bill) this movie, and Moore's early Roger & Me. If you do, your in for one hell of an interesting and entertaining night.
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