niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
kirk douglas is one of those rare american actors who can say more with a simple glance than most can say with pages of dialogue .
all he has to do is look at someone with a raised eyebrow , and you instantly know what he 's thinking .
" detective story " features one of kirk douglas 's finest performances .
he stars as a new york detective that has his whole world fall apart in one night .
the film is based on a play , and this is quite evident , as most of the movie takes place in the one - room flat that the detective 's work in .
the film opens with the douglas character getting ready to go home to his wife , but through a series of events , he never quite makes it there .
the bulk of the movie follows the case of a man named schneider , a surgeon who routinely performs abortions with a high fatality rate .
however , this schneider character has a connection in the past of douglas 's wife ; a connection douglas himself is not aware of .
many secrets are revealed in the last half hour of this film .
secrets i would not dream of giving away .
with a name like " detective story " , one would assume the film would resemble an episode of " nypd blue " , but it does n't quite work out that way .
however , we do see douglas at work on a few other cases throughout the running time .
lee grant ( virtually unrecognizable ) plays a meek jewish woman arrested for shoplifting .
her scenes with bendix , another detective , provide the movie with a few laughs .
the performances all around are fantastic .
douglas may be the leader of this ensemble , but he 's not the center of attention all the time .
we get to catch a glimpse into other cases and other detectives working on those cases .
which brings me back to douglas .
he has a really emotional scene towards the end of the picture that really makes you feel for him .
we can see that this is a man who has spent his whole life trying to eliminate crime , but has finally realized that what he 's really done is gotten back at his criminal father .
how he handles coming to terms with this is something really worth seeing .
kirk douglas is the kind of actor we do n't seem to see to much of these days : he 's a tough guy , but the human elements are never hidden too deeply underneath that gruff exterior .
Output: P
i had lost all faith in pg-13 movies that are intended for teenagers and adults .
the last dozen or so that i have seen have all felt incomplete , as if the most crucial scene was deleted in order to obtain a more lucrative rating .
however , after seeing the creative frequency last week and now the exciting u-571 , my bias is beginning to go away .
both films are as innocuous for younger viewers as they are intellectual for older viewers .
even better , i did n't think either one of these films would be any good from first instincts .
everyone loves surprises .
u-571 looked like another action film using an actual war as an excuse to shoot torpedoes and bullets .
this may be true , but the action is so extraordinary that it is clear director / co - writer jonathan mostow completed his ultimate goal ; to blow the audience 's socks off .
set during the early stages of world war 2 when the united states struggled to break the codes of the technologically advanced german u - boats , u-571 follows a small crew of american men who swipe the typewriter necessary to solve the enigma from an enemy ship .
there 's only one problem : the american ship they came from and hoped to return to has been shot down stranding the men on a german submarine known as ( you guessed it )
u-571 .
it is now up to the mostly young and inexperienced sailors , led by an interim captain named tyler ( matthew mcconaughey ) , to return the typewriter to america without getting sunk by far superior german ships .
the film starts off very slowly with a somewhat weak opening action sequence and another uneventful half an hour to introduce several of the sailors ( most of whom die when the mission goes awry or just inexplicably disappear ) .
once the crew gets on the u - boat , the movie shifts to another level and never leaves this high energy level until the ending credits roll down .
as soon as the action starts , it does not stop and luckily , because it is so exciting , i did n't want it to stop .
this is not a movie for those wanting to avoid loud noises , from the wonderful , heart - pounding score to the constant yelling of panicking men , make sure you see this at a theater with surround - sound ?
otherwise , do not see it all .
the best parts of u-571 are when tyler is forced to make impromptu decisions on how to escape seemingly impossible situations .
throughout the movie , several morals or characters are introduced to make tyler 's job as stressful as possible .
germans gun down their own men , tyler 's mentor captain dahlgren warns him that a captain has to be prepared to sacrifice even the most beloved soldiers for a victory , another sailor ( erik palladino ) threatens mutiny .
all of these examples , and several others , increase the chaotic atmosphere and the importance of tyler 's every move .
they also make u-571 one of the most exhilarating movies i have seen in a while .
Output: P
bruce willis stars as malcolm , an award winning child psychologist who discovers one night that one of his former patients is still suffering from inner demons .
the now grown man breaks into his apartment while he and his wife ( olivia williams from rushmore ) are celebrating his award , shoots malcolm in the stomach , then takes his own life .
almost nine months later , malcolm discovers cole ( haley joel osment , in a brilliant performance ) ,
another young man afflicted with the same turmoil as his former patient .
he takes on the child 's case in the hope of redeeming himself for botching up the previous one , alienating his wife in the process .
he soon discovers that they boy can see and speak to the dead , and his life becomes forever turned upside down .
although the first hour is very slow , the sixth sense turns out to be a very powerful and moving film .
i was expecting this film to be mercury rising 2 , but was astonished to discover an extremely well plotted out little thriller with an outstandingly satisfying ending .
you 'll find yourself mentally retracing your steps through the film to see if you actually saw what you think you did once the credits roll .
i must give m . night shyamalan a lot of credit for a brilliantly written screenplay .
the cast should also be given a lot of credit for making the movie as solid as it is .
a lesser cast could have made this film a joke .
bruce willis portrays his character perfectly , balancing his need to help cole and his agony over his strained relationship with his wife skillfully .
haley joel osment shines as nine year old cole , showing patience in his character that few young actors these days can pull off .
toni collette , looking markedly different from her pathetic character in muriel 's wedding , gives a strong performance as cole 's mother , who is trying to cope with both her son 's " illness " and the passing of her mother .
finally , olivia williams deftly portrays a woman having to struggle with a husband who 's not around and flirtations with a co - worker that could lead to a begrudgingly accepted end .
it 's a shame that they show cole 's abilities in the trailer , because the movie takes close to forty minutes to get around to doing the same , so we already know what 's going on before most of the rest of the cast does .
in retrospect though , the forty minute set - up is essential to enjoying the end of the film , so i have fewer complaints now
then i did while i was watching the film .
i 'm glad that the run of teen - styled horror films has passed and filmmakers are starting to make more adult fare .
films like this ,
the similarly themed stir of echoes , and countless others to be released later in the year should make for a pretty entertaining close to 1999 .
[ pg-13 ]
Output: P
hollywood has a . 750 batting average with elmore leonard adaptations .
last year 's touch was ill - conceived and just plain odd but get shorty , jackie brown and
now out of sight all were highly entertaining movies .
steven soderburgh , master of sex , lies and videotape , now adds crime to his repertoire in this tale of bank robbery , prison , double - crossing , uncut diamonds and ,
oh yeah , true love .
george clooney is the protagonist , a risky choice after such duds as batman and robin and the peacemaker , but for once i did n't want to slap the taste out of his mouth .
he plays his role in out of sight as the suave cary grant - type perfected in hitchcock movies , the kind of guy to whom crime is just a profession like any other .
nowhere present is clooney 's usual ain't - i - sexy sneer -- there 's just enough leftover lightheartedness to fit in with the leonard style .
clooney is definitely a perfect successor to john travolta in get shorty .
clooney plays a man who 's robbed about 200 banks without ever using a gun .
in the opening scene , he walks into one bank and robs it not only with ease but with charm .
of course , he gets caught , so it 's not all good .
it 's while doing time in a florida prison that clooney learns of one rich inmate 's ( albert brooks in a frightful bald wig ) collection of diamonds in detroit .
clooney and cohort ving rhames plan the score , while protection artist and fight promoter don cheadle begins rival plans .
meanwhile , there 's jennifer lopez .
unintentionally funny in selena and intentionally funny in anaconda , she 's finally graduated to a worthy role as the u . s .
marshal who happens to be driving up to the jail on the night clooney escapes .
rhames is waiting to give him a ride in a stolen car , and lopez makes it a threesome , her hostage ass locked in a trunk with clooney .
he 's covered in dirt and has a gun to her neck , and it 's a little cramped in there , but they manage to make a love connection anyway , probably because it 's a movie .
the relationship between clooney and lopez is at the heart of the movie , and one of the details that elevates it beyond your normal noir - ish crime story .
the leonard movies are more obsessed with dialogue than crime , and this is no exception .
although they 're not really germane to the plot , lopez 's relationship with her father ( dennis farina of get shorty ) , rhames ' relationship with his christian sister ( you could call her sister christian ) and a pop - in cameo by michael keaton
all lend extra class to a movie already full of it .
out of sight spans at least three years but has a non - linear structure , focusing on the jailbreak / brooks score and flashing back to earlier times .
this is a movie with a brain , as smooth and calculated
as the clooney and lopez characters themselves .
the entire cast does the material justice -- clooney and lopez coming into their own , and rhames and cheadle cementing their positions as two of my favorites .
here 's hoping future leonard adaptations continue to carry the torch .
serving america for almost 1/20th of a century !
Output: P
the last steve martin film i saw , the spanish prisoner , was a very different approach for the comic actor .
as a millionaire leading a massive conspiracy in order to rob " a process " from a clueless businessman , martin 's character did it all for money .
in his most recent movie , bowfinger , martin plays yet another con man except this time he does it to succeed in the film industry .
he wants to direct a successful picture that will force people to remember his name , that will make him more popular at the parties , and , most importantly , that will cause fed ex to deliver important business packages to his front door .
playing the title role , martin is once again the good guy ;
the one we cheer for to complete his low budget action movie .
this con man is very likeable for some reason , even though he is doing the same exact thing as the malicious jimmy del from the spanish prisoner .
maybe the message is that , in hollywood , to win over the trust and friendship of others , you have to be a little evil .
bowfinger is a very clever comedy with great performances from its two stars .
martin , who also wrote the screenplay , is perfect as a jerk with a conscience and eddie murphy does his best " peter sellers " in two different , but equally hilarious , roles ; one as a big time move star and the other as his nerdy , burger king employee brother .
the story follows aging and failing director / producer bobby bowfinger as he makes one last attempt to become a respected member of his field by creating a b - action movie called chubby rain .
in order to attract actors and crew members , bowfinger promises them that hot shot actor kit ramsey will star in the movie .
the only problem is that kit refuses to be in it .
but this wo n't stop the aggressive bowfinger .
he is so determined to complete his film that he decides to put kit in it without even telling him .
he has his actors approach kit on the streets of los angeles in character with a hidden camera filming the footage .
will bowfinger be able to make his film ? or will kit ramsey discover what exactly is going on ?
bowfinger is a very cartoon - like movie that pokes fun at hollywood and its famous residents while simultaneously holding a very solid story line .
the only area where the film really lacks is the cameo department .
this is the kind of movie that cameos are all about , it is always funny to see actors / directors / producers making fun of themselves or co - workers especially in a playful movie such as this .
besides the very repetitive and superflous ending , bowfinger is a joy to watch . if you take a movie like this seriously then you will never enjoy it . if you accept the incredulous plot and the extreme caricatures of real entertainment figures , the movie is great fun .
Output: P
whenever studio executives try to combine the successful formula of two blockbuster films , the end result is always a mess of a script , acting , directing , and generally a waste of time for any audience with an average iq above 40 .
the latest movie morass from hollywood , the crew , appeared equally destined to fail , a strange combination of grumpy old men and goodfellas tossed together with the likes of richard dreyfuss and burt reynolds helming the ship .
the scary thing is that it 's actually entertaining and a breath of fresh air in this otherwise stale month .
the crew works for several reasons .
the clever script is reminiscent of an old billy wilder movie , following four " past their prime " wiseguys from jersey who now live in the raj mahal apartment house in miami beach .
the wiseguys find themselves being evicted from their " golden paradise " by greedy landlords bent on raising rents for new beach bunnies and boys looking for beachfront property .
the four mobsters , bobby bartellemeo ( richard dreyfuss ) , joey " bats " pistella ( burt reynolds ) , mike " the brick " donatelli ( dan hedaya ) , and tony " mouth " donato ( seymour cassel ) decide to hatch a scheme to plant there a dead body heisted from the morgue in order to drive out the new tenants and keep their home .
this " simple plan " suddenly goes screwy , of course , and the boys become involved with a stripper named ferris ( jennifer tilly ) who wants her stepmother killed , a paranoid latin drug lord who 's convinced a mysterious rival is out to get him , and a rat with its tail on fire .
the crew works as a strong comedic vehicle driven by a great ensemble cast of talented character actors and subtle leading men .
instead of concentrating on bobby 's search for his daughter , the film gives equal screen time to all four wiseguys , balancing the production .
the acting talents of such screen veterans as dan hedaya , seymour cassel , and the great , great burt reynolds are brought out by each character 's uniqueness and synergy within the wiseguy circle .
a strong supporting cast including jeremy piven as a philandering boyfriend / cop / partner and miguel sandoval as the paranoid drug lord provide the most laughs .
the film was produced by barry sonnenfeld and carries a hint get shorty with its energetic camera work by michael dinner , emmy award - winning director of the wonder years .
the quick script written by barry fanaro , screenwriter of kingpin , is carried by plenty of subtly dry humor and wit .
the crew is a prime example of how simple and dry - witted a comedy can get these days .
the great thing is that this comedy does not need to be punctuated by bodily fluids , phallus symbols in the head , or grandmothers giving head in a spa .
in the steady flow of " extreme " comedy these days flowing from hollywood like a broken water main , it 's the elder statesmen like dreyfuss , reynolds , and hedaya that can carry a comic arc with only a few weapons of choice - a decent script and good acting .
Output: P
along his carreer , mel gibson has collected several successes , not only from an economic point of view but also from an artistic point of view .
for all that , i think no one could guess the skills and abilities now disclosed in braveheart .
the australian actor decided to produce and direct a film about sir william wallace , a popular scotch hero of the 13th century , where he would also perform the principal role . accepting so huge challenge , mel gibson run the risk of stain all his work of years , with a suppoosed failure , just to see recognized , by everyone , all his potentialities and , that way , to consolidate his position in hollywood .
it was , definitely , an enormous risk
but i 'm sure mel knew exactly well what he was going to face .
braveheart is , in fact , a magnificent and magisterial film .
for three hours we are completely absorbed by the narrative 's rhyitm which never gives place to a single moment of monotony or uninterest .
the william wallace 's story is the story of so many others brave liberty 's defenders who fought and gave the life for that essential value , along the centuries .
seeing himself and his people victims of injustices and violent repression , william wallace dares to face the powerful edward i , king of england , in a war by the autonomy of scotland .
as the victories succeed the number of fighters with wallace goes growing up .
his courage and inteligence are admired by everyone , including the princess isabelle of wales , wife of edward 's son .
however , william wallace was also surrounded by enemies and some of them were closer than he thought .
braveheart may not be an historically corrected movie but the nature of its message make us think about the importance that we give to liberty , nowadays .
mel gibson directs with a lot of brilliancy a brilliant cast .
patrick mcgoohan has a very nice performance
as edward i , the king longshank .
the scene when he waits for the death and loses his voice is really good .
sophie marceau , as princess isabelle , has along the movie no more than fifteen minutes of performance but mel gibson gave to those minutes such a very special treatment that princess isabelle soon becomes one of the major characters in braveheart .
i also liked the performances of angus macfadyen , as robert the bruce , and , of course , mel gibson , as william wallace .
however , i think this time the mel gibson 's work as director was much better than his work as actor .
the excellent music composed by james horner is another thing that helps braveheart to be the success that it really is .
when we join that music to the beautiful scotch landscapes , view by the camera of john toll , then we realize all the beauty of this film .
braveheart is , in my opinion ,
one of the best movies of 1995 !
i 've heard some people saying that mel gibson is gon na be a new david lean .
for now , let 's see if braveheart equalizes the 6 oscars of lawrence of arabia .
it wo n't be easy !
it 's gon na be one more challenge for mel gibson .
Output: P
capsule : bleak and point - blank -- just the way it should be . makes its case with cold - blooded precision and intelligence .
" serial killer chic " is a relatively new entry to the cultural vocabulary , and one of the more stomach - turning ones .
i 've never found someone automatically admirable or even interesting because they killed creatively or in great numbers , and because of that i had apprehensions about seeing henry .
i was n't sure i wanted to see the story of multiple murderer henry lee lucas portrayed as some kind of nihilistic hero / antihero .
thankfully , that 's not the way henry works .
the director , john mcnaughton , took a small budget and a gallery of actor friends and created a chilling and intelligent piece of work .
it does n't provide cheap - jack explanations for henry 's behavior : it shows him up for what he is , an unrepentant and un - idolizable man who killed when the mood struck him .
at the film 's opening , henry 's friend ottis toole has a sister , who comes by to stay while she tries to find work in chicago .
in a viciously riveting scene , he admits matter - of - factly to having murdered his own mother , and she covers his hand with hers .
they are damned together from that moment on .
henry and ottis eventually begin to kill for fun .
the movie is especially good at showing how they seem to have drifted casually into it : there 's a scene where the two go to buy a new tv .
the pawnbroker they talk to goads henry with ugly words , and henry responds by stabbing the man to death with a soldering iron .
no preface -- it smashes into us as suddenly as it does the broker .
in a scene which many damned the movie for , unseen , they steal a video camera and film the murder of a whole household , playing it back over and over again for their own enjoyment .
the movie itself , however , does not glorify the killings , but shows instead that henry feels no joy at his work , only irritation .
henry succeeds thanks to excellent writing and direction as well as acting .
michael rooker is credible as henry from the first frame , just standing there , and the rest of the cast works by being unaffected and casual as well .
the producers had originally comissioned a slasher film from mcnaughton , but he decided to give them something more memorable , and consequently the film nearly did n't see release .
the film does not glorify or justify -- it just shows us , with unflinching coldness , what henry was .
i 'm hard pressed to see how anyone can see this and consider henry any kind of " victim " or " hero " .
then again , probably , so would henry .
Output: P
" the fighting sullivans " contains a major plot development in the last ten minutes that every movie guide has seen fit to give away .
there was no dramatic tension for me while watching the film , as i knew exactly what was going to happen .
and that 's the worst thing that can happen before viewing a movie .
because of this , i will tread lightly so i do n't ruin it for anyone reading this review , and it would be very advisable to avoid all other material regarding this film until after you have seen it .
"
the fighting sullivans " revolves around a family that consists of a mother , father , sister , and five brothers .
the brothers are very close , despite the occasional disagreement .
they are inseperable , and never stray from one another .
their friendship and loyalty is the foundation of this picture .
the first half of the movie follows the brothers as young children , and their various adventures .
when four of them get into a fight with some local boys , the youngest sullivan , who is inside a church at the time , comes running out to assist , but not before properly exiting the chapel .
if i 'm being awfully vague about details , it 's because what i have told you is essentially the first hour and a half .
all i can say is go watch this film , because it is a fine portrait of a family that sticks together , through the good and the bad .
and after you see the movie , you will understand why this review has been written the way it has .
Output: P
time bandits , from director terry gilliam , is a very different fantasy action / adventure movie about a group of time - traveling dwarves , led by randall ( david rappaport ) , who have stolen a map of the universe .
this map contains time hole , that , if exploited , enable the men to travel back and forth through time .
the supreme being of the universe ( ralph richardson ) is the former employer of these treasure - seeking bandits , and he wishes desperately to regain the map . .
during the travels , he appears as a ghostly face , demanding that they return the map that they have stolen .
but , according to randall , they are just " borrowing " it .
kevin , a young boy who seems quite bored with his life , is unexpectedly brought into the schemes of the little men when they appear in his room , which has a portal for time traveling .
he joins up with the men and becomes part of their gang , following them on their robberies .
their first victim is napoleon ( ian holm ) , whom they rob during a battle that he is commanding .
from here , the group travels to the middle ages , meeting up with robin hood himself .
eventually , kevin is separated from the group and travels to an egyptian time where he is taken in by king agamemnon , played by sean connery .
kevin accidentally saved the king 's life , and the king wishes to have kevin as his son .
but the group of bandits find kevin and transport onto the deck of the titanic .
meanwhile , the evil genius ( david warner ) is watching the group from fortress of ultimate darkness , attempting to find a way in order to bring the men , and the map , to him .
when randall learns of the fortress of ultimate darkness , which supposedly contains " the most fabulous object in the world " , the dollar signs seemingly appear on his eyes , as he is convinced that they must travel there .
once inside the fortress of ultimate darkness , it is unclear as to if any of the men will make it out alive .
time bandits is a fantastically made film that caters to the imagination of anyone . with a terrific soundtrack , courtesy of george harrison , whom also was an executive producer , time bandits is sure to be a very surrealistic , time - traveling adventure with unforgettable characters that is sure to entertain anyone .
terry gilliam , however , does not utilize that greatly his trademark ability in moviemaking during this film , although this does not affect the film that greatly .
and finally , if you liked labyrinth , you 'll love time bandits .
Output: P
charlie sheen stars as zane , a radio astronomer who listens for sounds from other lifeforms .
when he finally gets one , his boss destroys the tape and fires him .
naturally , zane is not ready to give up , and he comes up with an ingenious way to do this himself .
he is aided by a young neighborhood kid and they discover that the sound is coming from mexico .
so zane goes down there to investigate , and runs into a lady studying why the temperature of the earth has dangerously risen so suddenly .
zane is having marital problems at the time , and an offer by her to spend the night with him is very tempting .
hearing charlie sheen deliver the line , " i guess there is something to be said for celibacy " is the funniest thing i have ever heard in a movie since matthew broderick discussed asexual reproduction in wargames .
this is just the setup , and i do n't want to give too much away , because a large part of the movies fun is the surprises .
charlie sheen , who has had a rocky career as of late , is in top form here .
he is funny , serious , and determined to accomplish his goal .
sheen 's absolutely terrific performance is another big plus to this movie .
the story is ingeniously devised by twohy , who also wrote and directed the equally clever cable movie grand tour : disaster in time .
the films major flaw is a very slow pace , and not much happens in the earlygoings .
viewers may be growing restless for a while , but trust me if you stick around and keep your head in it , you will have a good time .
Output: P
field of dreams
almost defies description .
although it 's about baseball , it 's not a baseball movie .
although the film is extremely spiritual , it 's not about religion .
and although field of dreams is melodramatic , it 's not a tearjerker .
to really understand what field of dreams is all about , you have to see it .
in the film , kevin costner plays ray kinsella , a baseball fan , ' 60s berkeley graduate , and iowa farmer .
one day as he is standing in the middle of his expansive corn fields , ray hears a voice ; it tells him : " if you build it , he will come .
"
then ray has a vision and somehow concludes that if he builds a baseball field in the middle of his corn , shoeless joe jackson will arise from the dead to play ball once again .
and even though it depletes his family 's savings and his neighbors think he 's crazy , ray clears away the corn and builds a baseball field , complete with bleachers and flood lights .
"
if you build it , he will come .
"
and lo and behold , shoeless joe does come -- bringing with him several of his dead teammates .
and then ray hears the voice again ; it tells him to " ease his pain .
" ray thinks this means that he must travel to boston to meet terence mann , an influential and radical novelist from the ' 60s who has since stopped writing and dropped out of society .
with great aplomb , james earl jones plays the disillusioned author who joins forces with ray and embarks with him on a magical and spiritual journey .
the cast in field of dreams is excellent ,
especially kevin costner in the lead role .
costner gives a quiet , subtle , and moving performance as a man who before building the baseball field had done nothing crazy or spontaneous in his entire life .
costner gives ray just the right mix of enthusiasm and idealism to make us believe in his mystic visions and swallow this wondrous fairy tale .
amy madigan gives a fine supporting performance as ray 's feisty and loving wife , who against her better judgement supports her husband 's crazy ideas .
in her most impressive scene , madigan vehemently argues against book burning at a p .
t .
a . meeting , displaying the sincere passion of a ' 60s berkeley radical .
ray liotta is appropriately eerie and awe - inspiring as the ghost of shoeless joe , the legendary batter who was suspended from baseball for his involvement in the 1919 chicago " black sox " scandal .
and finally , burt lancaster is memorable
in a small , but important , role as a small town doctor whose professional baseball career was limited to only one inning .
field of dreams is a touching fairy tale full of life , wonder , mystery , spirit , and humor .
it , for the most part , succeeds in capturing our emotions and suspending our disbelief .
ray kinsella 's spiritual quest in pursuit of his dreams proves to be moving and miraculous .
but while field of dreams generally avoids excessive melodrama , it unfortunately does at times go overboard , and by the end it gets down - right sappy .
in general , however , field of dreams is an emotionally satisfying fantasy -- one i can recommend to everyone but unromantic cynics .
Output: P
another ' independent film ' , this comedy , which was brought by miramax for $ 5 million , is good fun
.
favreau and vaughn
( the lost world : jurassic park , 1997 ) play mike and trent , two everyday 20somethings on the lookout for women .
the film just basically follows their plight on the lookout for lurve , and along the way we get to meet some of their friends , see their attempts at chatting up girls , and just basically get a insight into their lives .
and all of this is great fun .
swingers does n't rely on huge special effects , or big name stars to provide entertainment .
no , it just has a great script and superb little known actors .
the script , by favreau , is great .
mike is always missing is girlfriend , who has n't called him for six months , and every time he meets a girl , he always end up telling her about the ex .
the audience feels for this pathetic little man , thanks to the great script .
vaughn is ' the money ' ( swingers speak for ' the best ' ) as the womanizing trent , always on the lookout for a new girl .
some of his chat - up lines are awful , but he always seems to get the girl thanks to his ' hard man ' nature .
vaughns character also gets the best laugh in the film , towards the end in a diner .
the conversations that go on between mike and trent are great , but it never quite reaches tarantino standards ( which i suspect the film was trying to reach . )
there are some excellent , laugh out loud jokes in the film , and some superbly funny set pieces ( such as favreau cringe - worhy battle with a answer machine that always cut him off before he finishes his sentence .
embarrassing to him , hilarious to the audience . )
mike & trents friends are also good , although there characters seem a bit underwritten , and we never really learn as much as we would like about them .
although this is primarily mike and trents film , it would of been nice to learn a bit more about their friends .
they just seem to wander aimlessly in the background .
but again , the lines they say are usually pretty good , and they do have some funny parts .
it 's just a shame that they did n't have more meatier roles .
the acting is superb .
as said above , vaughn is superb as trent , he 's definitely the best thing in the film .
favreau is also good , acting as ' the little man ' very well , and the way he always feels sorry for himself is very funny .
graham ( boogie nights , 1997 ) has a small but good role as lorraine , a girl mike finally falls in love with .
she hardly features in the film at all , but she still manages to make an impact on the audience .
swingers , then , is funny , but it does have some flaws .
firstly , the running time is a bit too short .
the film comes to an abrupt halt , and i actually wanted the film to carry on longer .
it never really comes to a satisfying conclusion , which is a shame , as most films are too long !
also , this type of film has been done too many times , such as sleep with me ( 1994 ) .
but these small flaws do n't really spoil what is a funny , entertaining comedy .
Output: P
"
you 've got mail " is the very definition of a " cute " movie .
it 's got cute stars , a cute story - line , and even cute pets .
despite this over - whelming cuteness ( or maybe because of it ) , i loved " you 've got mail " .
i know , i know .
i 'm supposed to be a film critic .
i 'm not supposed to love transparent and formula pictures like this .
but darn it , somewhere along the way , " you 've got mail " reeled me in , hook , line , and sinker .
the movie stars tom hanks and meg ryan as two somewhat unhappy new yorkers who meet in an aol online chat room and quickly become close friends , without ever knowing each others identity .
as the movie progresses , though , they begin to discover that they have a lot in common with each other .
meanwhile , in " real - life " , they are bitter competitors .
she owns a quaint little children 's bookstore , he owns one of those gigantic super - bookstores that offer impersonal service and discount prices .
while his store threatens to run her store out of business , their online relationship grows stronger .
"
you 've got mail " is as artificial as movies come .
everything is nice and happy and by the end , all the characters have gotten exactly what they wanted out of life .
there are no real conflicts , no major disappointments , no unresolved issues .
nevertheless , i quite enjoyed it .
in fact , i ca n't remember the last time i had such a good time at the movies .
i think sometimes you have to be able to watch a movie and just get drawn into it .
the fact that stars hank and ryan are at the top of their game does not hurt either .
in particular , hanks is at his best here , turning his " charm - meter " up to 11 .
everytime he was on screen , he had my full attention .
and despite the fact that he was driving little bookstores out of business , i was rooting for him .
it was good to see hanks back doing what he does best : playing the affable everyman .
"
you 've got mail " certainly wo n't be winning any awards , but as an exercise in pure entertainment , it 's as good as it gets .
Output: P
mary norton 's children 's book series , the borrowers , has been made into several below - average television movies .
so , i was n't too enthused as i entered the theater for the big - screen debut of the minute clan .
but i was in for a shock , the borrowers is actually a thoroughly delightful movie with plenty of good laughs and even some decent special effects .
the lender family is being thrown out of their longtime home .
their aunt , who owned the property , never left a will .
now , an unscrupulous lawyer , ocious potter ( john goodman ) plans to demolish the house and replace it with an ultra - modern housing development .
but the lenders are not alone in their house .
living under the floorboards is a family of borrowers , 4 inch tall people who make their living as scavengers from the human " beans " above .
the clock family of borrowers is as distressed as the lenders , especially once they discover the evil potter actually has a copy of the will which leaves the home to the lenders .
so it is up to the clocks ( pod ( jim broadbent ) and homily ( celia imrie ) , along with their kids , arrietty ( flora newbigin ) and peagreen ( tom felton ) ) to recover the will and save the household .
but when potter learns of the tiny people , he enlists the skills of exterminator jeff ( mark williams ) to kill off the clan .
there 's plenty of attention to detail in the borrowers , especially in the furnishings of the clock family house , made out of lost board game parts and credit cards .
the background details are nearly as rich as the entertaining story .
the various predicaments of the clock family are clever and thrilling .
based on an original story , the screenwriters did a good job at imagining all the potential and unusual perils that could exist for a 4-inch tall person .
as the villain , john goodman 's performance veers on the edge of being over - the - top .
but his performance suits the role well ,
and he does very well in the film 's many slapstick moments .
with a nearly seamless mix of oversized sets , bluescreen shots and cgi , the special effects in the borrowers are very well done .
there are a few times when you can spot the effects at work , but none of them are so jarring that you lose the suspension of disbelief .
hopefully the borrowers will surpass the curse of being labeled a children - only movie , for
it is surprisingly entertaining and fun to watch .
Output: P
in present day hanoi , three sisters reflect on their parents ' relationship while trying to define their own in writer / director tran anh hung 's ( " the scent of green papaya " ) " the vertical ray of the sun .
"
youngest sister lien ( tran nu yen - khe ) greets the day with hai ( ngo quanq hai ) , the only brother whom she rooms and relentlessly flirts with .
their morning ritual of tai chi and lou reed precedes crossing the street to eldest sister suong 's ( nguyen nhu quynh )
cafe , where lien works , for breakfast .
the three sisters lovingly prepare their mother 's memorial banquet of traditional delicacies , prepared as much for look as taste , while giggling over the differences between the sexes .
after the family breaks from the banquet , we learn that suong 's young son ' little monkey ' is doted upon , but there 's a distance developing with her husband quoc ( chu ngoc hung ) , who 's leaving for one of his habitual botanical photography trips .
middle sister khanh ( tran manh cuong ) tells her writer husband
she 's pregnant before he leaves on a trip to saigon to research tuan , a mysterious man in his mother - in - law 's past .
lien keeps crawling into hai 's bed at night , causing him to fall out of it .
the initial serenity we witnessed starts turning into a soap opera before coming to full circle one month later , as the three women prepare their father 's memorial banquet .
"
the vertical ray of the sun " is a contemplative piece where strong passions exist underneath calm exteriors .
sly humor , self deceit and harsh truths
all exist in the cyclic screenplay .
tran anh hung and his cinematographer mark
lee ping - bin ( " flowers of shanghai " ) linger over and repeat the small gestures of everyday life - a wife washes her husbands hands , a woman makes water dance in a bowl , a man pulls his lover to face him before they part .
small spaces such as rooms , alleys and courtyards create intimacy .
the color green , symbolizing life and tranquility , is used heavily in the film 's visual styling , lapsing into yellowish hues and blues .
writer / director tran
anh hung 's film recalls
ang lee 's " eat drink man woman , " another tale of three sisters of varying modernity coming together traditionally for a parent .
but while lee 's more traditionally story - driven film resulted in radical changes for all concerned , " the vertical ray of the sun 's " characters strive for peaceful harmony .
watching it is like trailing your fingertips in a stream on a cool spring day .
Output: P
bob the happy bastard 's quickie review : i must admit , no doubt 's single " new " is quite catchy .
it was bouncy and energetic enough to get me to go see this new film from director doug limon , the man who had brought us the humorous swingers a little while back .
the result ?
a movie that 's just as good
as that song , really .
it follows the lives of several individuals over the course of one weekend .
first we hear about a grocery bagger ( sara polley ) who runs into a monetary situation problem and ends up selling bogus drugs at a rave ( with bad results , as a drug dealer feels he 's been swindled by her )
; then comes the story of an english grocery store worker ( same store ) who heads to vegas for the weekend with friends , where sex , gunplay , and stolen car trouble come into play ; then we see the story of two gay movie actors ( played by scott wolf and jay mohr ) who deal with a cop 's strange insurance presentation and hitting a girl ( sara ) with their car ; and , finally , we come to another grocery worker ( katie holmes ) who has a strange fascination with said drug dealer ( the one mentioned earlier ) .
really , it 's all confusing to keep track of in review format
, your best bet is to just , well , go .
the movie features some very good acting from all angles , and limon adds the same humorous energy he had with swingers to this particular product .
the dialogue is pretty snappy and the resolution is pretty well realized , not going for the sappy happy ending nor the dreaded bad ending .
think of it as a , well , ending .
the intertwining of stories is a particularly good element to the movie , as it 's never really confusing and tells different sides of the story , like sliding doors kinda did .
however , it 's better suited for the younger generation who want a little spice in their flicks , which sliding doors kinda is n't .
Output: P
usually a movie is about something more than a soiled rug , but not the big lebowski .
the new offering from the creators of 1996 's critical hit fargo , is to say the least , wildly entertaining .
originality has always been a strong trait in the coen brother 's movies , and the big lebowski is insanely original .
it begins oddly enough when jeff " the dude " lebowski ( jeff bridges )
is mistaken for a millionaire , jeff " the big " lebowski ( david huddleston ) , who 's wife , bunny ( tara reid ) owes money all over town .
two goons , out to collect on bunny 's debt break into dude 's house .
they attempt to collect the money that bunny owes them and one of them urinates on his rug .
the next day dude explains his situation to his bowling team ( steve buscemi & john goodman , respectively . )
he is advised to go to the big lebowski and get him to pay for the defiled rug .
he does this , and shortly after gets tied up in a kidnapping caper .
this is a extremely funny movie with lots of belly laugh moments .
the coen brothers have assembled a great cast that play off each other perfectly . also several great supporting roles , john turturro as a child molesting bowler named jesus .
the coen 's script plays off perfectly and it all goes together to make it extremely entertaining
.
i doubt this movie will be nearly as popular as fargo , but its off the wall moments make it so far the best of 1998 . if you like anything else the coen brothers have done you will love this one , if not they give this one a try its a little different .
Output: P
it 's hard not to recommend " the others .
"
the supernatural thriller , written and directed by alejandro
amen ?
bar ( " open your eyes " ) , adroitly establishes and maintains a low - key atmosphere of menace .
the cinematography , by javier aguirresarobe , is as good as i have ever seen and nicole kidman gives another in her growing body of fine performances .
but the pacing of the story moves from deliberate to downright sluggish and the payoff of the tale left me less than satisfied .
overall , the film plays like a very high quality version of any number of old " twilight zone " episodes where the characters spend a great deal of time wandering about looking afraid and disoriented , only to learn they are actually a child 's toy , a military test subject or a department store dummy .
watching those vintage shows and listening to the players chatter , i always wanted to shout , " get on with it ! " as much as i appreciated the atmosphere and acting in " the others , " my reaction was much the same .
set at an island mansion off the coast of england during world war ii , the story focuses on grace ( kidman ) , who tends to her children anne ( alakina mann ) and nicholas ( james bentley ) and worries about her husband , charles ( christopher eccleston ) , a missing serviceman .
anne and nicholas suffer from photosensitivity and grace patrols the estate with the keys to all 50 doors , protecting the little ones from excess light by making sure that only one door is open at a time .
at the beginning of the film , three servants , mrs .
mills ( fionnula flanagan ) , young , mute lydia ( elaine cassidy ) , and mr .
tuttle ( eric sykes ) , an aging gardener , join the family .
the two that speak seem agreeable enough at first , but it soon becomes apparent that they know something that grace does not .
to make matters worse , the children are upset : nicholas is unusually jittery and anne claims to be seeing ghosts .
grace attempts to blame the troubles on the new arrivals to her home , only to realize that whatever is happening is beyond them .
that 's essentially the whole story , with the tension growing until the pivotal moment when everything becomes clear .
earlier , there is an outstanding scene where grace darts outside , only to be enveloped in fold after fold of shimmering fog .
the visuals in the otherworldly sequence , courtesy of aguirresarobe , are simply astounding .
i also enjoyed the presence of religion , a rarity in films dealing with the supernatural .
grace is a christian and answers her children 's questions about life and death with the assurance of a devout worshiper .
when mother is away , though , the kids speculate whether her statements are fact or folklore , just as real children do .
but those nice touches fail to enliven a film that is too slow or make up for a lackluster ending .
"
the others " sets out to be a classic ghost story , but fails to grasp that special something that makes such films more than layers of mist .
Output: P