This weeks mocies
Title: Mrs.Doubtfire
Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan
Rating: 4 Drag Queens
Review: Some people say that you shouldn’t rewatch movies you’ve seen before (like Mum keeps saying) but I find watching movies I have seen, but not in years, a good middle-point. I first saw this film in 2002, and caught the end of it on TV a few years back.
The story in itself is rather cute in Daniel’s (Robin Williams) desperation. Not being a father, I can only guess at the emotions he might be going through. But even this film takes it to a whole new level. Very few people could actually take the situation as far as this movie does. But when you’re scripted, I guess you can’t use reality. But on the other hand, I guess that if you are that mad about your kids, you’d try to slip something past.
This movie lost and gained a point again because of it’s movements towards homosexuality, transvestites and transexuals. A point was removed because the judge thought Daniel’s character mentally insane because of what he does throughout the movie. There was quite a good admission that he wasn’t doing it for any other reason, and is made clear throughout the whole film. The judge still ruled against him, and I thought that was a bit biast. But the point was returned because of the explaining of Daniel’s brother (Frank) and his boyfriend Jack, otherwise explained to the kids as Uncle Frank and Aunt Jack. I thought that is one way to go about it until they are old enough to get it. Not my approach, but close enough.
I had to take half a point off because, as is inevitable in these sorts of films, there is one point where you can see it is going to go badly and end poorly, and the main character (in this case Daniel) is blind to the destruction ahead, whether they cause it or not. These scenes are like train wrecks, you want to look away but you can’t. All you can do is sit there and moan ‘oh no!’ to try and keep yourself from yelling at the tv, telling the actor what’s ahead.
I took another half point off because there were a few points where you had to wonder why Miranda (Sally Field) doesn’t see that her now ex husband is Mrs.Doubtfire. There are a few times Mrs.Doubtfire looks very sheepish and you have to wonder why she is so oblivious? But it only happens once or twice, so I didn’t get too heavy-handed on the deductions.
The best part of this film is that it is not a happy ending, it is a compromise of an ending. And it does pass on some understanding to younger watchers about divorce and what that might be for some people, which I thought was a touching idea. All in all, Mrs.Doubtfire will definately find it’s way onto my DVD shelf and be a good DVD for a cold night in.
Title: Monty Python – The Life of Bryan
Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Rating: 2 1/2 crusafictions
Review: A Monty Python film, to which plot is minor but still present, to which running jokes are a mass and things are hardly ever what they seem. However, considering I have seen two other Monty Python movies, you’d think I’d know what I was getting myself into. However, I have a difficulty with Monty Python films with their lack of continuity and that you need to be really focused to keep up with the plot.
The story sounded amusing enough, in that Brian is born at exactly the same time as Jesus, and their lives seem to run paralell from start to finish. From the gifts of the Wise Men through to the crusifiction, Brian discovers he lives the more realistic life of Jesus Christ. While being followed by a bunch of people who think he is the Masire to simply trying to live his life with his otherwise bizare mother, Brian can’t find any peace.
In itself, there were a few good jokes, scenes and I finally discovered which film had ‘Bright Side of Life’ in it... now I can’t get it out of my head. Continuing, there were some rather amusing points in the film, but like always, I had a hard time following it. -1 for that.
Despite the need to pay attention to keep up with the plot, I did however find a few minor errors, to my delight at the end of the day. One scene depicts Brian naked while suddenly discovering he is standing in front of a mass crowd. We’ve all had that dream, Brian just had to live with it’s reality. You also have the pleasure of finding out he isn’t jewish... if you know what I mean. But he is not the masire, he’s just a naughty boy. I couldn’t agree more.
I also took points off for the number of times the jokes seem to rely on selective hearing. That rather annoyed me because I was hoping for something a little more... I dunno, fresh, after a while.
Concluding, Monty Python’s The Life Of Brian won’t be appearing on my DVD shelf, simply because it isn’t something I’d enjoy watching again and again. I’ll just keep some of the more amusing scenes in my mind and leave the rest to you.
Title: The Dark Crystal
Starring: Stephen Carlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards
Rating: 3 Crystal Shards
Review: If there is one thing I can’t really stand, it is a vague hero, who has no real idea on what they are doing and when they should be doing it, and rather than completing one’s destiny when the opportunity is right, they decide to dawddle and go the hard way. I realise this leaves little climax, but for God’s sake, use your brain.
Jera is not one of the heroes you will find written about in Greek Mythology, but more from the same shelf as the Cowardly Lion. Kira, in turn, is from the shelf of animated rules, where everything she needs is on hand, all she has to do is call for it or place her hand out of screen. -1 for that, it wasn’t impressive.
I understand the idea of this film, and the making of it in turn was probably aimed at a lower age group than myself, and I have to admit that this story didn’t really thrill me. The peaceful Mystics who seem to do nothing but walk and sing, and the evil skekses who are so self-obssessed that they would probably wipe themselves out, given the chance. The other races of beings who are above animal intellignece have no survival instincts, and while Jera is “suppossed” to be the only Gelf left, he is the hero, so he has to have a girl at the end. Hence, he isn’t really the only Gelf left, just one of. -1 for that too. The detail of each creature was not well explained but you are still expected to keep up.
The best character in the whole folm was Orga, who has one of those weird temporaments that you really can’t tell if she is happy, angry, curious or dissatisfied. But some of her lines are highly amusing, and the one mood you can read clearly form her is when she is being threatening and intimidating. Frankly, she makes me laugh.
A DVD for my shelves? No thanks, I find it too simplistic for my taste, and too much just fell into place without much explanation. When you can explain things falling into place, then I can live with that, but this movie didn’t. I can think of a few good things about this movie, but there aren’t a lot.
Title: Shortbus
Starring: Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Lindsay Beamish, PJ DeBoy, Raphael Barker
Rating: 4 vibrating eggs
Review: Jesus Christ with cheese! I don’t know who left me the idea of watching this film in a comment on one of my other movie reviews, but it has been by far the most raunchy and sexually explicit film I have seen in a long time. Rated R, it is certainly not for kids.
This movie follows people who move in very different circles, both sexually and socially, and how they all meet and are able to help each other. There is the married sex therapist who ahs never had a proper orgasm in her life, the gay couple that are having issues on communication because one is crushing and one is suicidal, the dominatrix with no self-confidence, and so on. As these people meet, talk and seperate at an omnisexual club called Shortbus, they sexually explore with others to try and find what they want. Around and around the people go through different emotions, plans and ideals until such a point as they will brake down and need to rebuild again.
The best scene was with the sex theropist and her husband at Shortbus. She puts a vibrating egg up her twat so if he wants to talk to her or communicate with her, he just needs to set it off. But while she is trying to work with her issues, the egg keeps going off, but only because he is leaning on it. It ends up in a drunk mans hands and he keeps pressing the buttons thinking it is a remote, while Sofia the therapist (Sook-Yin Lee) is trying to stop a fight. But with the press of a button, she accidently punches someone out.
I know it is how a movie is supposed to work, but I took away a pint because everyone seems to meet one another at the precise moment they need to meet each other. Disappointing, cliche and typical. And I didn’t take points off because I was watching lesbian sex, heterosexual sex or female masturbation. Nor did the removed points get added on for the many gay sex scenes. Yes, a lot of cock and pussy is shown, but the one character who was cutest of all doesn’t show off his personals like everyone else, which was rather annoying. Well, I might have to go back over the scenes he is in and double check.
Back on topic, the movie is actually a good mix between a porn film and a slap in the face with the cold wet flounder that is reality. It demonstrates that, even the most normal or perfect of couples aren’t as normal or perfect as they seem. That every relationship has its issues, that there is tension in one way or another and that it may (not suggesting) take an unconventional method to sort them out. Now while this movie certainly suggests that you could find your bliss through multiple partneers, sex therepy with a next to complete stranger and introducing a third party to the relationship to bring about happiness (for you or your partneer), it is an over-the-top way of saying that there is more than one way to fix things.
Yes, this film will certainly find its way to my shelf, more because of the reminder of life I sometimes need that, even though I am not in a relationship, there is certainly worse things going on in the world between people, and I don’t need to go to a gay bar to hear about them.
Now, this week’s list was supposed to include Die Hard 2 (Die Harder) and Die hard With a Vengence (Die Hard 3) but the discs are so scratched that none of my players could read them. I guess the DVD shop owes me one.
:This Months Top Movies.and Ultimute Movie List
From this month’s listings, here are my top films and the rating they got. In the sections of their ratings, they first appear in catagory then in order of enjoyment and whether or not I would get them on DVD. Next month, the month;s top 10 movies will be displayed and then combined with this list to make an ultimute top ten list.
Indiana Jones and the Last Criusade (4)
Shortbus (4)
Mrs.Doubtfire (4)
Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark (4)
Die Hard (3.5)
Die Hard 4.0 (3.5)
Aladdin (3.5)
Alice in Wonderland (3)
Tron (3)
The Dark Crystal (3)
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