Change Your Image
Ragged Dagger
Reviews
The Family Man (2000)
Plot Holds Attention
This is one of those movies that I had no interest in seeing; no girlfriend begging, no nephews or nieces begging, nobody forcing me to watch it. Nonetheless, when it was on satellite television at 3:00 in the morning, I unfocused my eyes and caught the flic. We're talking about an un-original plot: man gets a second chance to see how his life would have been if he had made one different decision. There. Nothing special. Sliding Doors pulls it off fairly well (thanks to John Hannah and two separate storylines), but it's a tale we can all picture without a motion picture. However, the performances in The Family Man are extremely believable. When Nicholas Cage resigns himself to his fate, I see more of Leaving Las Vegas than Gone in Sixty Seconds or City of Angels. Tea Leoni is great as a stressed mother. Period. But the story and the plot save this movie. How do you explain your state of mind to a child when you have been transplanted in time. Family Man handles it okay--Cage pulls it off. I'm not saying this is a great movie, but it's a believable movie with good acting. Get your wife and kids to watch. Reaffirm life after you've been fired or your old boyfriend calls. It's all right.
Under Heat (1994)
Differences Between Writer and Director
Under Heat is an incredible story that suffered in the translation from novel to screen due to artistic differences between Peter Reed (the director, who also shares a writing credit) and Michael Brown (author of the book, who shares a writing credit). The story itself interweaves two sons' dilemmas of AIDS and heroin addiction with their mother's breast cancer. The minor flaws with the film deal with these gaps between the novel and the picture. Reed, as director, took complete control over the script: he made multiple writing requests and undertook changes himself. The acting is well-done overall. Lee Grant, the mother, and Roger Knepper, Milo, both do a good performance in the movie. Unfortunately, Peter Reed died of AIDS the same year the film was released.
Gattaca (1997)
Perfectly Written Story (with Great Acting, too)
This is a well-crafted story that did not do great in the box office. As a writer, the storyline is always my key focus in a movie. As a film freak I like the other stuff too. Ethan Hawke as the lead and Jude Law as the man behind the man behind the man are excellent in the film. Alan Arkin is still one of the greatest actors; he plays a detective investigating a murder at Hawke's job site. Gore Vidal as the director, Ernest Borgnine as the head handyman, Loren Dean as Vincent's brother, Elias Koteas as Vincent's father, Blair Underwood as the doctor/geneticist in the beginning, (and even Tony Shalhoub makes an appearance) do wonderful jobs.
The movie uses the future as a background for Vincent's (Hawke) struggle in a genetically-enhanced world. The thrust of the movie is about overcoming culturally-enforced handicaps and prisons and is relevant today and tomorrow and forever. The story is perfect. Perfect. Every detail is necessary and every element adds to the movie. The final swim scene between Vincent and his brother Anton is masterfully drawn and the artistic culmination of the film.
Rent the movie, buy the DVD, or subscribe to IFC and wait as long as it takes for the movie to be shown. Ten out of 10 stars or thumbs or monkeys.