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Reviews
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
A disappointment
Martin Scorsese is one of the world's great filmmakers, and he does not disappoint here. Each set piece is a master class in filmmaking, full of the director's touches, giving the film an epic scope.
Unfortunately, the narrative approach is less than compelling, seriously blunting any impact the film should have had. While it is totally understandable as to why Scorsese and Eric Roth veered from the source material, I found myself completely uninvolved in the film. It may have something to do with the lead character, Ernest, a man who is both venal and dumb. DiCaprio does as much as he can to humanize him, but like almost all of the characters, he can't make us give a damn about Ernest or the story. Lily Gladstone tries hard but fails with an underwritten part (although she is a shoo-in for the Best Actress Oscar, which tells you more about the Oscars than about her performance). The only actor who comes off well is Robert De Niro, who is at least entertaining in his perversity.
The film is a collection of carefully created set pieces, some of which work better than others. But ultimately, KILLERS does not kill.
The Lesson (2023)
Proof that film is not an actor's medium
All the actors in this disjointed, completely unbelievable movie have been excellent in other worthier films. The premise had promise, but the director's execution is trying so desperately to be "serious", it ends up being unintentionally comical. Grant's character is a cartoon villain and Delpy is hilarious as his sphinx-like wife. Macormack is fine but basically wasted in the role. It even has a weird butler who knows more than he should, but we never find out what that is. The kid is a typical sullen, tortured teenager. Many plot developments can be seen from a mile away. The setting is pretty though.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Big disappointment
The good: excellent performances by Murphy, Damon and especially Downey. A couple of powerful scenes, especially of the first test of the atom bomb - literally mind blowing .
The bad: disjointed and confusing storytelling. Characters are plopped in and we have no idea who they are or their significance. Bombastic score that never lets up. At 3 hours way overlong.
I was so looking forward to seeing this film, especially after the critical huzzahs for it and I'm a fan of all the talent involved. Well, folks, we've been misled by the critics yet again. Quite a few walkouts at the screening that I attended.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Run, don't walk to see this film
This film is bound to be a classic like Cinema Paradiso, Rocky or any number of films that celebrate the underdog. Sure it's manipulative, but tell me which great film isn't. The audience is rooting for Jamal, the young protagonist, from the first frame to the final fade out. Simon Beaufoy's marvelously inventive screenplay, plus Danny Boyle's exceptional direction should make this a hit, in spite of the fact that there are no known actors (at least known in N. America) and chunks of the dialogue are in Hindi. It is a crowd pleaser in the best sense of the term.
Note to Fox Searchlight: If you market this properly, you could have another Little Miss Sunshine or Juno on your hands. Frankly, this is a superior film to either of those.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
A major disappointment
Over the years, this film has gained a near-mythological status: how Sergio Leone turned down 'The Godfather' to make this opus, his 16 years trying to get it made, the film's 'butchering' upon its North American release in 1984, Leone's 'broken heart' that led to his death just a few years later, etc. So, after reading a glowing review about a new, uncut version on DVD, I couldn't wait to rent the film.
I wish I could say it was a masterpiece. Clunky dialogue, lousy acting, cardboard characters, a pompous, TV mini-series feel to the story, unbelievable situations all conspire to sink this movie under its own weight.
One of the problems seems to be that the script was written by Italians and then somehow translated into English by an American writer who must have a tin ear for dialogue. The actors, all of whom have been excellent elsewhere, are left to look foolish uttering the stuff. The only one who barely gets by is De Niro - we realize what a great actor he is since he makes the most what he's given, which ain't much. Poor James Woods, who has appointed himself the chief cheerleader for this film, leaves little scenery unchewed. The rest of the cast go from mediocre to embarrassing - even the lovely and talented Jennifer Connelly, who appears as the love interest as a child, does not escape unscathed.
Having said all that, I seem to be in the minority about this film. So go ahead and see it, if you must. Just don't mention it in the same breath as 'The Godfather'.