niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
it 's rather strange too have two computer animated talking ant movies come out in a single year , but that is what disney and pixar animation ; s latest film represents .
while a bugs life is n't nearly as deep as it 's predecessor , dreamwork 's antz ,
it is just as funny .
a bug 's life centers , appropriately , around the life of an ant , named flik .
flik , cutely voiced by newsradio 's david foley , hates sticking too tradition and attempts too find new ways of harvesting food and other task .
when one of his inventions causes the offering too be completely lost , the leaders of the colony send him out on a mission too get him out of the way .
the offering is food that a vile group of grasshoppers force the ants too harvest for them .
the leader of the grasshoppers is hopper , who is fiendishly voiced by oscar winner kevin spacey .
when the offering is lost hopper is very upset and he vows to return shortly too retrieve double the amount of food .
when the leaders of the ant colony send flik out on his mission , they never dream he will be successful , they just hope they can get him out of the way so they can harvest the extra food .
flik 's mission is too hire some warrior bugs too fight off the grasshoppers when they return .
instead flik accidentally hires circus performing bugs , who he mistakenly assumes are warriors .
when he returns with the ` warriors ' , the town is ecstatic until they find out the truth about their heroes .
a bug 's life has animation that is simply stunning .
the sheer uniqueness of the day to day bug life is very imaginative . together with the great voice acting , this film is the perfect holiday family film .
its main weakness is that it could n't beat antz to the theaters , making it seem like stale material .
Output: P
> from the commercials , this looks like a mild - mannered neil simonesque tale with mary tyler moore baring her bra touted as the highlight .
instead it turns out to be a hilarious film running in high gear from beginning to end .
the concept is deceptively pedestrian .
an adult adopted son is looking for his biological parents and encounters eccentric characters along the way .
the movie demonstrates just how far a good script and actors can take a mundane idea .
the son and his wife take off on the search accompanied by a woman from the agency who located his parents .
following one dead end lead after another , each funnier than the previous , they eventually end up in new mexico with his real biological parents : alan alda and lily tomlin .
it 's difficult to condense the mile - a - minute plot .
seemingly hundreds of scenes jump on top of each other without giving you a chance to recover from the last one . without giving too much away , one of the better episodes involves a gay federal alcohol , tobacco and firearms agent attempting an arrest while tripping on lsd as his bi - sexual partner is upstairs licking the armpit of a woman while her husband is in the next room seducing their traveling companion .
and it 's all done in a fairly clean , almost ( well , maybe not exactly ) family fare manner .
a grand cast ( tomlin , alda , moore , ben stiller , patricia arquette , tea leoni , george segal ) interacts in a seamless parade of laughs .
drawing from a more hyper woody allen style , the film succeeds beyond expectations .
Output: P
it is easy to label something sentimental or tear jerking when one has not experienced the heartache of losing a child ? whether that may be in life or in death .
after having said that , i will also say that this movie does all of the above very well .
one gets that choking sensation in the throat ( because of grief ) when one brother forgives another for a costly mistake , or when a husband hugs his wife after a long estrangement .
there is no ocean , no drownings
and it does not conjure up memories of yet another ?
ordinary people ' .
in fact the only thing remotely connected to the ocean is probably tap water and the toilet flushing ( not that this literally happened in the movie ) .
so what are the lessons learnt :
1 . do n't take your children to class reunions .
2 . do n't leave them alone in the lobby , not even for a second .
michelle pfeiffer once again plays the role of a highly - strung wife and mother , a trend that started with ? a thousand acres ' and ?
one fine day ' .
my comment is that she is exceptionally fine strung in this movie , so much so that when she has a nervous break down , the veins on her temples bulge impressively .
whoopi golberg also puts in an understated performance , playing a lesbian cop , with a name that makes one want to reach for a lollipop .
lastly , who are the ideal companions for this sort of movie ?
my grandmother comes to mind .
Output: P
disaster films have a tendency to be very formulated and very cliched .
to see a disaster film with actual originality , or at least a decent plot twist , would definitely be a welcome surprise .
unfortunately , folks , it 's not likely .
dante 's peak is cliched , and at times corny , but also pretty decent . to be honest , i was n't very interested in seeing this film , and word of mouth , as well as several reviews , did n't make it sound promising .
so
i was pleasantly surprised that to find that this movie was n't bad at all .
it 's pretty run of the mill , but it 's not something i would say is merely " ok " to watch .
in case you do n't know , dante 's peak is about a volcano and the city which lives in it 's shadow , dante 's peak ( who would 've guessed , eh ? ) .
pierce brosnan plays the volcanologist sent to study the volcano and , perhaps more by hunch than actual scientific proof , is determined that the volcano will be arupting in the very near future .
due to the lack of more substantial evidence , nobody warns the small town , and when they finally do , it 's in the middle of the town meeting that the volcano finally blows .
brosnan , all around good guy , will , of course , save the day .
. .
or at least the mayor of dante 's peak ( linda hamilton ) .
naturally the two will become infatuated with one another .
( if you think i just ruined a plot development , you have n't seen very many movies ! )
there 's also the virtually neccessary kids and pet dog to tug at your heart strings .
and of course , the kids or the dog ( at least one or the other ) will do something heroic . . .
but hey , i do n't want to ruin all the surprises !
if there was a part of you that was hesitating seeing dante 's peak merely because it was rumored to be a waste of time ,
i urge you to watch it and decide for yourself .
it 's not brain food , but it succeeds at what it 's meant to be . . .
an enjoyable , suspenseful movie about the fury mother nature can unleash !
Output: P
mimi leder is probably best known for her stunning work as a director of the hit tv - show er .
her mast famous episode , " love 's labour lost " , dealt with the ordeal of doctor mark greene as he tried his best to save the life of a pregnant mother and her child .
the way she moved the camera and created tension throughout every scene was amazing .
there was more excitement and adrenaline rushed suspense than just about any of hollywood 's big blockbuster movies .
so it 's only natural that leder would get to direct her very own hollywood blockbuster .
and i have to say , after a shaky beginning , she does not disappoint .
peacemaker deals with the theft of nuclear weapons by terrorists , which is obviously nothing new .
the first half hour goes into detail , way too much detail , about how the weapons are stolen .
despite a few good images , including a train collision and a very impressive explosion , none of this was very coherent .
it 's long and drawn out , and i would have settled with a more implausible beginning that would have moved the story along better .
once george clooney and nicole kidman enter the picture ,
it begins to take off .
george clooney is an air force colonel with connections all over the world .
he has a nice sarcastic wit and the rough edges that you expect from most clooney characters .
nicole kidman is head of a white house team on weapons smuggling .
there is the usual flirtatious banter between the two , but that is dispensed with quickly .
the story takes clooney and kidman across the globe , trying to figure out who has the weapons and where they are going with them .
clooney goes through bouts of sarcasm , frustration , determination , and revenge while kidman works against her own insecurity and self - doubt .
this is when leder starts to show her true stuff .
she starts us off with a nifty little car chase as an appetizer .
then we get clooney doing heroics in and out of a helicopter .
then that leads us to the brilliant final showdown on new york city 's crowded streets , and a madman with a nuke walking among them .
mimi leder is a natural at creating suspense .
she reminds me of wolfgang petersen in her ability to make the most routine action sequences exciting and breathtaking .
nicole kidman is an intelligent female action hero .
you 're not gon na find her falling down
so clooney can come back to save her .
george clooney is a real movie star .
many of you may have hated him as batman , but this guy is for real .
he has a natural screen presence , and an ingratiating personality .
he 'll be around for a while .
dreamworks is off to a satisfying start with peacemaker .
Output: P
capsule : the verma family is having a wedding and all the relatives will come for the multi - day festivities .
mira nair 's film is pleasant enough with a little human drama , a few family secrets , some sadness and some happiness .
you have seen it all before , but perhaps not from india .
the photography is colorful and the music is very agreeable
. ,
low +2 ( -4 to +4 ) mira nair previously directed salaam bombay and mississippi masala .
her newest film , written by sabrina dhawan , is very similar to previous films like betsy 's wedding but it is set in new delhi .
a wealthy family is having a wedding .
an indian wedding is a multi - day affair as much a family reunion as a nuptial .
even more than in the us , it is an excuse for a lavish and extravagant family get - together .
the film shows us what the family does together and at the same time follows several family members ' individual story lines .
aditi verma is marrying hemant , an indian engineer working in the us .
she had previously had a relationship with vikram , her supervisor .
latit , her father ( played by naseeruddin shah ) , is juggling many problems , not the least of which is worrying about the caterer has hired pk dubey .
dubey is a rather eccentric man with a taste for eating the marigolds he uses for decoration .
even dubey will soon be romantically entangled when he becomes interested in alice , one of the family servants .
several family members arrive giving rise to several plotlines involving sex , family secrets , or both .
there are heartbreaks and there are people falling in love .
some of the subjects covered are probably near taboo for indian films .
western audiences will appreciate a look at unfamiliar indian customs like women painting their hands with henna .
on the other hand it was not clear ( to me at least ) if scenes like the family singing together are typical of indian culture or if they are a convention of indian musical films .
this seems a particularly westernized family with the father wearing american designer sweaters and the family speaking mostly english .
the latter will , however , help with an international release .
sabrina dhawan 's screenplay is vibrant with witty dialog .
we have seen films with plotting very much like this , but the indian setting makes a great deal of difference .
director mira nair calls the film an affirmation of life .
i rate it a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a low +2 on the -4 to +4 scale .
Output: P
the love for family is one of the strongest driving forces in any man 's life , especially for those who have fostered their family under precarious circumstances .
thematically in cinema , love for family has been used frequently and emphatically to highlight more abstract aspects of characters ; it is rare , however , for it to develop as outstandingly as it does in roberto benigni 's neo - classic drama , life is beautiful .
through a central cast of father , mother , and son , benigni demonstrates the wonderful , undying love that a family shares in the best of times and the worst of times .
life
* is * beautiful for guido orefice ( roberto benigni , directing himself here for the sixth time in his career ) , an italian jew , master con man , and aspiring waiter extraordinaire .
living in 1930 's italy , he lives a carefree life of good fortune ; it is made even better when he happens upon a pretty schoolteacher named dora ( nicoletta braschi ) .
although dora is already engaged , guido manages to sweep her off her feet and persuades her to marry him instead ; the two have a child named joshua ( giorgio cantarini ) .
unfortunately for the happy family , the third reich and its nazi minions occupy italy and imprison all jews in work camps .
it is after the movie takes this dramatic turn that the movie 's theme of family love becomes the strongest .
although prior to this turning point benigni plays guido with a sort of goofy charm , he relaxes the role to ensure his son 's happiness .
now , instead of awkwardly seducing the sweet dora , he constantly reassures his son that everything will be all right .
benigni 's performance is truly a well - rounded one , and certainly one of the more fluid turns all year .
the supports are all strong as well , but the movie truly excels in its script .
life is beautiful is a self - proclaimed fable , one which tells its story in grand , two - part fashion .
in certain parts it manages to sink to the level of a " saturday night live " spinoff -- a number of humorous skits connected by a token plot -- but in the movie 's second half the script 's circular nature becomes admirably obvious .
characters make reprise appearances in fine form , and certain events which are intially curious become critically linked to the plot 's outcome .
in all , fans of foreign film will see this as a memorable motion picture , and novice movie - watchers may take this opportunity to see their first " artsy " film .
life is beautiful is an artsy movie by convention but
easily accessible to everyone , and above all is a fine thematic picture .
Output: P
while watching wes anderson 's rushmore , it may be surprising to think that the role of max fischer , the film 's anti - hero , was not written with jason schwartzman in mind .
the young actor , making his film debut as a 15 year old student at the exclusive rushmore academy is so perfect in the role that it comes as a shock that anderson auditioned some two thousand other prospective stars before discovering schwarztman .
schwartzman plays max , a student who is more interested in his extra - curricular activities ( such as writing edgy plays like " serpico " and being president of the rushmore beekeepers ) but sees his grades suffer as a result .
on the brink of being thrown out , he lands himself in even more hot water when he falls for first grade teacher rosemary cross ( olivia williams ) and enlists the help of millionaire acquaintance herman blume ( the great bill murray ) to build an aquarium ( on rushmore 's baseball field ) in her honour .
unfortunately for everyone involved , blume finds that he has feelings for miss cross as well , which gets in the way of max 's plans to woo her .
max is one of the best - written characters we 've yet seen in the 90s , and schwartzman plays him to perfection in one of the finest comedy performances ever given by someone of his age .
as everyone else has probably already pointed out , he is reminiscent of a young dustin hoffman ( although i was reminded more of paul from " the wonder years " , from a visual standpoint , at least ) .
hopefully , if he avoids typecasting as weird , quirky loner - types he should earn himself a good career .
bill murray is his equal as blume , displaying a depth we have n't yet seen from him .
while this is n't his best performance ( that honour goes to groundhog day )
he is still terrific here .
williams is n't given much to do except react to schwartzman and murray , but still does fine work .
rushmore seems to go just a little too long but , while it is n't a perfect film ,
it is a definate must - see
for anyone who wants to see that rarity , an american coming - of - age film that actually works well without an excessive amount of sentimentality .
anderson has created a modern classic with a star who should , with any luck , rise to even greater success .
Output: P
quaid stars as a man who has taken up the proffesion of dragonslayer after he feels he is betrayed by a dragon early in the movie .
he runs into the last dragon in existence , and there is a genuinely amusing battle between the two which results in a standoff where quaid is in the dragons mouth , but has his sword pointed at the dragons brain .
eventually , they decide to call a truce , and they work out a deal . since he is the last dragon , he will pretend to die and quaid will be able to get paid for it .
their scam works at first , until they come to a town without any money .
instead the town sacrifices a girl to the dragon , but of course , draco is a nice droagon
, so he wo n't eat her .
there is however a very amusing scene where draco is hitting on the young girl .
of course , as you can probably tell by the plot , this is a silly movie , but it does know when to take itself seriously at the right times , unlike eddie , which was serious all the time .
you could probably call this a medieval comedy , because there are more laughs here than in eddie and spy hard combined .
dennis quaid makes a fine hero .
pete posthlewaite provides some ghreat comedy as a monk who journeys with them .
dina meyer is appealing as the sacrificed girl .
but lets face it , the movie is really about the dragon , and what an amazing creation he is .
connery 's voice and ilm team up to provide us with a truly magnificent dragon
.
so , if you are going to see this movie for a strong hard core medieval epic , you are going to the wrong movie .
if you are going because of the dragon , you will not be dissapointed , and you will be provided with plenty of laughs
that smooth out the boring parts in the script .
Output: P
as with his other stateside releases , jackie chan 's latest chopsocky vehicle , mr . nice guy , is contrived , blockheaded , and lacking in narrative logic .
but also like those other films , it is a highly enjoyable ride .
once again , chan 's screenwriters ( here edward tang and fibe ma ) have taken the easy way out and named their star 's character simply jackie , with no last name .
this jackie is a world - class chef who co - hosts a popular cooking show on australian television .
of course , jackie also happens to be a talented martial artist , and these skills come in handy when he becomes involved in an ambitious reporter 's ( gabrielle fitzpatrick ) expose of a drug dealing ring .
other plot details , involving a videotape and a biker gang , are irrelevant ; in fact , as is the case with most chan films , the plot itself is just about irrelevant .
the sole purpose of mr .
nice guy 's existence are chan 's comic fight scenes , and those here do not disappoint .
director samo hung ( who has a cameo role ) , a longtime collaborator of chan 's , does not waste any time putting chan in action , diving head - on into a wild chase / fight / shootout after a brief cooking show prologue .
other impressive set pieces follow
, most notably a chase in a mall , which directly leads to some frenzied , if cliched ( can you say fruit cart ? ) , business involving a runaway carriage ; and an extended late - film sequence at a construction site , in which a hilarious pursuit through a maze of blue doors culminates in some exciting fights involving boards , cement mixers , and a deadly buzzsaw .
none of the action sequences in mr .
nice guy are as spectacular as supercop 's thrilling helicopter - train finale or rumble in the bronx 's daring leap between two buildings ; nor is anything as inventive as the ladder fight or air tunnel climax in first strike and operation condor , respectively .
but the action delivers , even if the energy peters out before the film 's end ( the finale , as spectacular as it is , is a letdown for fans of chan 's athletic prowess ) .
filmed almost entirely in english ( even so , the voices of some english - speaking actors are laughably dubbed ) , mr .
nice guy hints at jackie chan 's latest transition to hollywood productions ( he made ill - fated attempts with 1980 's the big brawl and 1985 's the protector ) ; next in the pipeline is rush hour , a stateside production co - starring chris tucker .
hopefully that film will be a mere diversion in tinseltown , and chan will continue with exuberant hong kong productions such as mr .
nice guy , for
his unique charm and reckless abandon are sure to be diluted by american hands , much like they have been before .
Output: P
as the film opens up , expectant unwed mother sally ( played by drew barrymore ) encounters her baby 's father in a fast food drive - through window .
after he gets his milkshake , he drives off , only to be pursued by a military helicopter .
from this moment forward , you know that this is n't going to be your run - of - the - mill romantic comedy .
home fries tells the tale of the relationship between sally and dorian ( played by luke wilson ) , a helicopter pilot who has a different kind of connection with sally . . .
more than he would care to admit ( hint : it has something to do with the father of sally 's unborn child ) .
after taking a personal ( and professional ) interest in her , he finds work at the local fast food restaurant at which she works , and the fun goes on from there .
this movie is a lot of fun .
it is comedic on two levels , as a romantic comedy and a dark comedy .
the romantic moments are sweet , yet not sappy .
one of the more poignant moments is when dorian accompanies sally to lamaze classes .
however , the dark comedic moments are more memorable .
this is also a tale of revenge , and a funny one at that .
the father of sally 's unborn child also happened to be a married man , whose wife is played by catherine o'hara .
she does a wonderful portrayal of a jealous wife who is targeting the person who had an affair , and is not above getting other people to do her dirty work .
( my apologies if this sounds cryptic , but there is too much of the plot to give away ) .
rounding out the cast are jake busey as angus , dorian 's overzealous brother and daryl mitchell as roy , dorian 's trainer at the fast food restaurant .
the dialogue is sharp and not filled with sappy overtones , even with the romantic nature of the plot .
if there are any complaints , it is over drew barrymore 's performance .
while she does light up the screen
, there are moments when she does n't seem all that convincing .
the movie was filmed in texas , and most of the characters have southern texan accents .
drew barrymore 's accent tends to come and go ( luke wilson does n't seem to have this problem ) . as well , she seems awfully agile for a woman that is eight months pregnant . still , this movie is one that will please many viewers
.
with plot twists galore and hilarious dark moments , this is sure to entertain .
Output: P
one of the last entries in the long - running carry on series , carry on behind is very similar to carry on camping in that it involves a group of holidaymakers descending on a ' caravan ' site .
professors anna vrooshka ( elke sommer ) and roland crump ( kenneth williams ) and a group of archaeology students stay in the caravan site owned by major leep ( kenneth connor ) so that they can explore the nearby roman settlement remains .
anna has a little trouble understanding english and sometimes people get the wrong end of the stick : - for instance ,
when anna is asking for ' scrubbers for dirty caravan ' , she means that she wants a scrubbing brush to clean the caravan !
arthur upmore
( bernard bresslaw ) and his wife linda ( patsy rowlands ) take her mother daphne barnes ( joan sims ) and her minah bird on holiday with them .
mother - in - law jokes prevail .
furthermore , the trouble that joe and norma baxter ( ian lavender and adrienne posta ) have with their large irish greyhound allows for some comical moments between the two families .
fred ramsden ( windsor davies ) and ernie bragg ( jack douglas ) leave their wives ( liz fraser and patricia franklin ) behind for a fishing holiday .
however , they have more in mind than fishing when they catch sight of two young girls , sandra ( carol hawkins ) and carol ( sherrie hewson ) .
the story involves the disruption caused by the archaeological professors of the day - to - day running of the camp , the search for the minah bid and greyhound , the major , fred and ernie 's desperate need of a woman , a misunderstanding leading to a striptease at the caravan park 's pub , and a shock in store for daphne . the partnership between sommer and williams is very effective and amusing .
this is what binds the movie together .
joan sims stands out as the demanding mother - in - law , bernard bresslaw and patsy rowlands work well together as husband and wife , and carol hawkins and sherrie hewson are a welcome addition to the cast
.
on the other hand , there are low - key performances from kenneth connor and peter butterworth as barnes the handyman , and there are very poor performances by windsor davies and jack douglas who spend far too much time on the screen !
even though there is no real plot to speak of and the jokes are getting bluer due to the new scriptwriter dave freeman ,
there are enough truly comical moments and bright and breezy performances to lift this carry on above many of its predecessors .
although the regular cast is depleted , the ones that remain show that they can still make a good carry on film .
a relative flop at the cinema ,
this movie deserves a lot more recognition .
Output: P
the dramatic comedy cousins has all the necessary ingredients : a witty and whimsical script , inspired performances , a great sense of humor , a large and wonderful cast , and the beautiful scenery of vancouver .
it 's a movie of weddings , marriage , family , infidelity , and
--
oh yes -- love .
like 3 men and a baby , cousins is an americanized version of a french film : 1975 's cousin , cousine .
the plot is complicated , but it goes something like this .
larry and tom are cousins , each of whom is not - so - happily - married .
tom starts an affair with larry 's wife , tish , and to get even , larry and tom 's wife , maria , pretend to have an affair of their own .
soon the pretending turns to love and cousins is off and running .
cousins is populated by a wide assortment of interesting characters and caricatures .
the acting is first rate down to even the smallest supporting role , and virtually every performance deserves mention .
ted danson ( in his first starring film role ) finally gets to play a character with some depth and sensitivity .
while larry may be confident and charming like sam malone on " cheers , " he is also complex and vulnerable , with more between his ears than empty space .
as maria , isabella rossellini is a joy to watch
; she is shy , sensuous , and immensely alluring .
sean young is perfectly cast as larry 's picture perfect wife , tish , a superficial and trendy make - up consultant .
keith coogan , from adventures in babysitting , is wonderfully weird and eccentric as larry 's rebellious son , mitch .
and finally , lloyd bridges in a tour de force performance
is mitch 's rambunctious grandfather ; he provides some of cousins ' best lines and laughs .
like moonstruck , cousins is a mix of drama and comedy .
the film is larger than life and has a keen sense of the absurd .
it understands human nature extremely well and milks it for every possible laugh and heart - tug .
how often do you see a movie where you believe that two characters truly and sincerely care for and love each other , as friends and as lovers ?
well , to its credit , cousins is just such a movie .
let 's hope the french continue to provide us with the inspiration to make films like cousins
Output: P
this remake of " la cage aux folles " features a gay couple pretending to be straight in order to pull the wool over the eyes of their son 's future in - laws .
the couple ( robin williams and nathan lane ) are about as archetypal , or as the less kind might put it ? stereotypical , gays possible .
williams owns a nightclub featuring drag queens where his partner performs as the featured star .
they live above the club in what could not possibly be mistaken as a heterosexual abode .
williams is excellent as should be no surprise .
gene hackman as right - wing potential father - in - law is refreshing in one of his few comedic roles .
the real star is lane .
his attempted transformation from one of the most obviously gay men in the world to the straight - shooting uncle is hilarious .
perhaps it is a personal failing on my part , but the crying and screaming drag queen faux high drama just grates on my nerves and
the first few minutes of this film are filled with it .
luckily
( for me at least ) , it does n't last long and the rest of the story focuses on the relationship between the men , their son and the deception .
the question of stereotypes is a touchy one .
these guys personify the homophobic gay image .
you can almost hear the swishing .
if you think that they are supposed to be representative of every gay man in the world , you 'll be outraged .
but if you can accept the view is that this is a movie about gay individuals ,
you 'll love it .
your choice .
Output: P
the long and illustrious career of robin williams , which has included both forgettable turns like mrs .
doubtfire and flubber , was punctuated with the actor 's first academy award in 1998 for his role in good will hunting .
it was his first truly dramatic role since 1989 's dead poets society , and critical remarks were unanimously positive .
his next role , that of a deceased pediatrician in what dreams may come , was unfortunately lackluster .
and so , after a six - year stint as a comedic actor , the proof on whether or not williams can cut it in the dramatic league has come down to patch adams .
williams is the title character , hunter " patch " adams , sporting scruffy facial hair that falls between the clean - shavenness of dreams and the grotesque hairiness of will hunting .
we 're introduced to patch as he commits himself to a mental institution because of his suicidal tendancies .
it 's at the institution , however , that he discovers a latent talent for relating to people .
he removes himself from the institution and enrolls at the university of virginia 's medical college , where he finds that medical doctrine is a calculating , impersonal trade .
his attempts to inject humanity into the profession result in several bouts with expulsion , and the movie climaxes with patch 's appearance before the state medical board .
the characters are well - defined in an oscar - worthy sense .
although the script does not perform well as a narrative -- there 's little story to be told outside of patch 's skit - length experiences -- the script does go a long way toward building the relationships of characters .
at medical school , patch meets up with truman schiff ( daniel london ) , an outsider like himself who relishes patch 's zest for humanity .
the two instantly become the best of friends , and it 's easy to see why .
monica potter plays patch 's love interest , a young woman who personifies the things that patch hates about medical school .
for some reason he 's attracted to her , and although it never gets said , the audience understands from an intrinsic point of view .
the script -- based on hunter adams ' own story -- works well this way .
the rest of the cast , bob gunton as the villain professor in particular , is solid .
director tom shadyac ( liar liar ) leads us in and out of patch 's life in a sound , intentional manner ; combined with williams ' presence on screen , the movie rarely becomes boring .
patch adams ' lack of purpose is its major shortcoming , and for the first ninety minutes out of two hours , there 's little feeling of continuity or the passage of time .
nevertheless , it 's an emotionally moving picture , and patch adams looks to be one of the more memorable of the holiday season .
it succeeds at everything it tries , and only fails at the stuff it does n't try in the first place .
by and large there may be another oscar nomination herein for williams , but more importantly ,
it 's entertainment for the entire family .
Output: P
in recent years , harrison ford has been such a grave screen presence , scowling through the likes of tom clancy 's jack ryan series , _ the_fugitive _ , and last year 's smash _ air_force_one _ , that one wonders if the rogue charm that made him such a superstar had been completely drained from his system .
apparently , it was just lying dormant .
with ivan reitman 's enjoyable romantic comedy / adventure
_ six_days ,
_ seven_nights _ ,
the lovable scoundrel is back , giving audiences a fresh reminder of why ford is one of the most enduring and popular modern screen icons .
ford plays quinn harris , a carefree and slightly slobby ( endearingly so ) pilot in the tropics
whose broken - down plane crashes in a storm , stranding him and his charter , new york magazine editor robin monroe ( anne heche ) , on a deserted island .
of course , the sophisticated robin and the salt - of - the - earth quinn are at odds long before the plane goes down , and all manner of hostile repartee is exchanged between the two from their first meeting .
while some of the lines fall flat , the formulaic motions work because of the unexpectedly electric chemistry between ford and heche .
both actors , who have largely done serious works as of late , seem liberated by the lack of dramatic weight on their shoulders , and they deliver their zingers , as weak as they sometimes are , with beguiling abandon .
naturally , there 's nothing like a life - threatening crisis to bring two people together , and quinn and robin 's warmup to each other is sped up even further by the arrival of some bloodthirsty pirates .
granted , some conflict needed to be introduced on the island , but this tacked - on development from writer michael browning is a bit too obviously thrown in for the purpose of adding gratuitous action scenes .
but the point is to get the two together , and their newfound affection causes complications for both , but mostly robin , who came to the islands on a vacation with her fiance frank ( david schwimmer ) , who frantically awaits her return on the home island .
reitman , and old , reliable hand at breezy comedies , keeps the pace brisk and capably handles the more action - oriented sequences .
his big accomplishment , however , is bringing the old , smiling ford back .
as appealing and charismatic as he always is , ford has n't been quite this charming and affable in years ; he 's obviously having a blast , and the audience can not help but have one along with him . holding her own is heche , whose scrappy character never becomes the screaming ninny
she initially promises to be ( as the plane goes down , she frantically pops stress pills ) .
she can take her lumps , physical and otherwise , just as well as quinn , making her a formidable foil and ideal match . formulaic and light as a feather , _ six_days ,
_ seven_nights _ could be cited as a classic example of the summer " popcorn " movie season 's lack of substance .
it 's certainly fluff , but it 's unpretentious , undemanding , and -- most importantly -- fun fluff that goes down as easily as a frothy pina colada on a balmy tropical beach
.
pass the popcorn .
Output: P
capsule : a rock and roll fable , indeed .
like a hubert selby , jr .
novel filtered through equal parts damon runyan and bruce springsteen , and a ton of fun .
streets of fire bills itself as " a rock and roll fable " , and the description is perfect .
this is a stylish , great - looking , and breezily enjoyable movie that feels like a hubert selby , jr .
, novel with a damon runyan rewrite , irected by bruce springsteen .
noir is one of the few truly american movie genres , aside from the hollywood musical and the western .
this is post - wwii brooklyn noir , for lack of a better label , with a generous injection of rock ' n roll and an all - around confrontational attitude .
it all works .
the plot is simplicity itself : rocker ellen aim ( diane lane ) is kidnapped by a vicious street gang , led by a bloodthirsty fellow named raven ( willem dafoe , very nasty ) .
her old soldier flame ( played by michael pare ) comes back into town to save her , but does n't count on a whole bunch of things going askew .
that 's about the entire plot , save for the spats with ellen 's manager ( a hilarious rick moranis ) , an encounter with a doo - wop group that winds up becoming ellen 's supporting act , and a whole gang of other fun little touches .
but in movies like this , when is the plot important ?
the movie is all style , all visuals and attitudes , quotable lines and posturing -- and it delivers all those things consistently and with great brio and pacing .
no surprise that it was directed by walter hill ( 48 hrs . ) , who understands this kind of macho romanticism perfectly , and has put together a movie that 's a mixture of times and sensibilities , but
perfectly unified in tone .
when was the last time you could say something like that about a movie , especially a movie where it seems like someone gets decked on the jaw (
* and * passes out )
every 2 .
63 minutes on cue ?
streets of fire is n't the greatest movie ever made , but it occupies a totally unique little niche , and enjoys the position it has .
anyone with a weakness for doo - wop , neon , motorcycles , rainy streets , the el , studebakers , gang pictures , lonely heroes , and a great - looking gal giving the microphone both lungs will eat this movie up .
i did .
Output: P
with storytelling this compelling , who needs books ?
based on the book by author james ellroy ,
l . a . confidential is probably one of the best piece of work produced by hollywood in recent years .
together with director curtis hanson ( the hand that rocks the cradle , the river wild ) whom ellroy corroborated closely throughout the shooting of the film , resulted in a movie with a plot and and script so tight , an atom would have to squeeze itself through . set in the 50s , the story revolves around 3 policemen of vivid personalities .
jack vincennes ( spacey ) is the cop who is more concerned on busting with fame and stardom ala hollywood style , concentrating heavily on work which will attract him media attention .
there is also the young hot - shot rookie , ed exley ( pearce ) , fresh out of the academy and all - out to carve a name for himself in the footsteps of his legendary cop father .
the tough and unnerving bud white ( crowe ) , a cop who believes in justice , the swift and violent way .
3 policemen , distinct in their characters and paths but all of them working in a place where there is no real distinction between good and evil .
when his partner is murdered on the day of his resignation , bud sets out to find the people responsible but unwittingly delved himself into something more than just a simple robbery murder .
even after exley receives a promotion for his work on the murder case , happenings began to link itself to the murder .
the 3 eventually reach a point of convergence when what actually began as a personal investigation turns out to be an uncovering of a complex web of organised - crime in hollywood .
the last time i remember a film so clever and compelling was when i watched the usual suspects . in l . a . confidential , you do not get the shock and cleverness as the former but it has a lot more of ` story ' going for it .
there is not a single moment in the film in which i felt was slow at all .
surprisingly , though spacey did a very convincing job as the street - wise vincennes , the movie was carried mostly by the two rather ` unknowns ' , pearce and crowe .
pearce 's exley is cool and calculative in his actions and there is a slight hint of val kilmer in his appearance .
crowe 's bud white is the most impressive of all ; head - strong and temperamental , he should obtain some sort of recognition for his work here .
superb acting .
, wonderful storytelling and one of the best climaxing gunfights ever .
easily the best hollywood piece for 1997 .
Output: P
synopsis : committed to an asylum
, the marquis de sade ( rush ) continues to publish pornographic literature , aided by young maid madeleine ( winslet ) .
abbe coulmier ( phoenix ) , who runs the hospital , disapproves of the stories , but humours him in the hope of achieving a cure .
de sade 's craft and life are threatened when the emperor dispatches dr royer - collard ( michael caine ) to stop the marquis ' work , permanently .
review : " quills " is an exploration of the marquis de sade : his madness , his cruelty and his perversion , his obsession with sex in any form , no matter how obscene .
but " quills " also details the marquis ' determination : to write in spite of the obstacles put in his path , and to propagate his words to the masses .
the extent to which de sade is willing to go to practise his trade is amongst the movie 's most intriguing elements , as when de sade scribes a story in his own blood , or narrates a tale via of a chain of fellow inmates , cell to cell .
to provide a contrast with the marquis , wright involves him with two very different characters .
one is the abbe , a handsome , charming and kindly man whose desires are stymied by his oath to god .
the abbe lusts for madeleine , but it is the wizened marquis who is able to have her .
and then there is royer - collard , a hypocrite who in truth is as sadistic as any of the marquis ' motley creations .
rush is splendid as de sade , utterly inhabiting the character .
kaufman 's direction is fine , and he is able to bring a sense of bizarre humour to the grim proceedings .
the plot itself is rather mundane and plays out unsurprisingly , but this is virtually unimportant .
for two hours , " quills " acquaints us with the marquis de sade -- and , more frightening still , allows us brief insight into his scatological soul .
Output: P
synopsis :
in this cultural exploration , a chinese american computer engineer named fang ( peter wang ) decides to take a month - long vacation to visit his sister mrs .
chao ( shen guanglan ) , her husband mr .
chao ( hy xiaoguang ) , and their teenage daughter lili ( li qinqin ) in beijing after 30 years of separation .
fang brings his asian american wife grace ( sharon iwai ) and his college - aged son paul ( kelvin han yee ) along , both of whom do n't speak chinese .
the encounter between the two families allows the audience to compare the eastern and western cultures as well as the ambitions of individual characters .
opinion : sometimes a film is plot driven .
sometimes it 's a character sketch .
a great wall ( 1986 ) can be called a culture sketch , as opposed to a character sketch because it gently compares a chinese american family to a beijing family .
fang 's family is thoroughly americanized .
fang is an upper middle class professional who enjoys jogging and argues with his boss .
his wife ca n't cook chinese .
his son has a white girlfriend and complains of racism when fang encourages him to befriend an asian girl .
meanwhile fang 's beijing sister advocates absolute loyalty to the ' work unit . '
her husband is a retired official who has heard rumors of american depravity ( homosexuals running the streets ) , and her daughter lili longs for american freedoms in a youth culture where studying for college entrance exams is the most important thing in life .
the two families spend a month slowly learning about each other .
there is no ultimate ' answer ' or final comprehensive understanding after the month - long vacation .
the film is neither here nor there ; it 's a neutral , meandering , gentle , portrait of life on both sides .
Output: P
larry flynt is a self proclaimed smut pedlar and the owner / publisher of the multi - million dollar hustler publications company .
the people vs .
larry flynt is the story of larry flynt 's fight for the freedom to circulate and sell his pornographic magazine , hustler .
based on a true story , the film is almost a documentary in that it 's a very vivid and detailed look at larry flynt 's life .
woody harrelson gives an excellent performance .
he conveys flynt 's peculiarities and his character with depth and focus .
by the end of the film the audience actually finds themselves , somewhat grudgingly , liking larry flynt .
this is some feat given flynt 's apparent lack of any morals or ethics and his extremely smutty and childish behaviour in court .
however , flynt has a number of things going for him , he 's rich , he 's funny , and most importantly , he says exactly what he means .
larry flynt 's wife , althea leasure is played by courtney love .
larry meets althea at one of his clubs , and they fall in love ( a very sexual and open love ) .
both of them indulge in a world of too much sex , and eventually too much drugs .
flynt had been taking an excessive amount of pain killers after being paralysed from the waist down ( which was especially upsetting for him ) by an assassin .
althea had joined him in taking the drugs .
following an operation flynt decides to stop taking drugs , althea does not have any such plans , nor the determination to follow them .
as the film progresses we see her become increasingly frail and sick .
courtney love obviously has a great understanding for althea 's situation , as
she is brilliant in portraying althea in every respect .
it 's extremely sad to watch althea literally wither away .
edward norton plays flynt 's lawyer , alan isaacman .
again , this is a solid performance .
the audience finds it easy to sympathise with isaacman who somehow puts up with flynt 's courtroom antics .
flynt is not only childish in the courtroom , but downright rude to the judges , and lands himself in a lot of trouble ( and even in a mental institution ) because of it .
isaacman is very easy to like , and great at proving ( in quite clever ways )
his points to the court .
milos forman has done a great job in directing
the people vs .
larry flynt .
it is not really an exciting or thrilling film , but instead a highly interesting portrayal of a true story .
due to larry 's character it is also , at times , a very funny film .
however , it is much more than that .
it is about the fight for freedom of speech , anti - censorship , and the right to be able choose for oneself what to see and buy .
an excellent look at flynt , his life , and his story .
keep a look out for the real larry flynt who makes a cameo as judge morrissey .
Output: P