Video Reviews

bellview--i love movies

Home | Movie Reviews | Video Roundups | Essays | Game Reviews | Subscribe | Mailbag | About | Search

2001 Winter Video Roundup, Vol. II

1/24/02

For some people, it's bocce.  For some, it is donuts.  For me...it is both of those, and a whole lotta flicks! 

"The French Connection"

Finally, I watched not just the famous car chase scene from this movie, since I had seen that particular sequence on various specials about some of the greatest films in history.  There is just a great, great film that surrounds the famous Brooklyn driving scene, and most of that is due to Gene Hackman's Oscar-winning performance as NYC cop Popeye Doyle, out to put a hurting on some Frenchy criminals that are trying to smuggle drugs into the city.  Well shot and fiercely acted, both by Hackman and co-star Roy Scheider, this is a film that should be seen ASAP.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"You Can Count on Me"

Laura Linney--she of the horrible, atrocious "Congo"--was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the angst-ridden single mother in "You Can Count on Me", and rightfully so:  she gives a performance that ranges from just plain ol' pitiful to angry to funny to caring.  It helps that there is really no other performer in the film that gets as much screen time.  But, in a supporting role, Mark Ruffalo (useless in last year's "The Last Castle") is even better than Linney, and I am shocked that he wasn't nominated for any major awards from 2000.  The movie is pretty good, but these performances are far superior to the film and make the whole thing worth watching.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

"Living in Oblivion"

I first saw this film back in '96, and back then I wasn't too familiar with film lingo like I am today.  The movie, starring the always-great Steve Buscemi as an independent film director that has to work within a pretty tight budget to make a film, is hilarious even without the knowledge, but with it, you get a funny film that rewards folks that know the business.  It helps that Buscemi is his raging self and has two or three tirades that are just roll-out-of-the-chair hilarious.  Plus, this film features the funniest midget scene of all time...forget that Mini-Me bullshit from "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me", this is some funny stuff.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"Mansfield Park"

Sign that Justin doesn't read ever:  I watched the credits of this film and realized that this film was based on a very famous Jane Austen novel.  Oh well, nobody's perfect!  Neither is this movie, which follows the exploits of poor castoff Fanny Price (Frances O'Connor) as she grows from unloved house servant to...loved house servant!  Since it takes Fanny the whole film to realize what the audience knows from the beginning--that she is destined to fall in love with Edmund Bertram (Brit hottie Jonny Lee Miller--did I just say that?)--things got a little long in the tooth for me.  But, this film goes down easy and, in the tradition of any Merchant-Ivory production, it has that beautiful, regal "Remains of the Day" thing going for it.

Rating:  Matinee

"Delicatessen"

The same man who brought us last year's "Amelie" directed this 1991 film, a twisted take on a vision of a near-future apocalypse.  You see, in this world, there is a severe meat shortage and one butcher (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) has taken to killing other people and serving their flesh in his delicatessen to a building's residents and anyone else that is lucky enough to be "in the know."  The latest victim is meant to be new janitor Louison (Dominique Pinon, who also appeared in "Amelie"), but the butcher's daughter (Marie-Laure Dougnac)--wise to her father's scheme from the beginning—falls in love with Louison and tries to warn him before it is too late.  This is some weird stuff, but for some reason, it works, thanks to some quirky apartment neighbors and a great ending.  Make sure to have a couple of 40s before watching this film.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

"Bonnie & Clyde"

Loved this movie.  I'm not really sure which part of it I liked best...which is, of course, the best sign of them all:  what's NOT to love?  Whether it's the emphatic performance by supporting actor Gene Hackman as Buck Barrow, the sensual performance by Faye Dunaway or Warren Beatty's very un-Dick Tracy performance as bank robber Clyde Barrow.  Or, maybe it is the ending...which just ends.  No crap like they do it these days, where a film just ends...and then drags and drags and drags.  Beautiful, and a great soundtrack to boot.  This 1967 film was nominated for every single major Oscar category, but only won for Cinematography and Supporting Actress (Estelle Parsons, as Buck's scream-a-minute wife Blanche).  Did you know that Gene Wilder is in this movie?  Friggin' Willy Wonka!!

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"Catch-22"

I had already read the Joseph Heller book last year, and I wanted to see if the film version measured up.  Like 99% of all book adaptations, the movie version didn't quite match the tone of the hilarious text, but the Hollywood version makes up for this shortcoming by casting so many stars you won't possibly catch them all.  Alan Arkin plays the lead role of Captain Yossarian, a bombardier that is sick and tired of his commanding officers' constantly-changing mission limit so he decides to find ways to get out of the Air Force.  Along the way, he has to deal with other crazy fliers, including pilots and staff played by Martin Sheen, Anthony Perkins, Buck Henry, Charles Grodin, and Jon Voight.  Blink, and you'll miss cameos by Orson Welles, Bob Newhart, and Norman Fell.

Rating:  Matinee

"Kalifornia"

I had always wanted to see this one but always passed it up for some reason.  Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis play trailer trash lovers, and he has kind of a mean streak to him...he kills people.  When socialite scribe David Duchovny needs roadtrip mates for a cross-country research trip, he gives Pitt and Lewis a ride...with disastrous consequences.  Another in a long line of Hollywood road movies, except this one is a showcase for Pitt's incredible versatility as a redneck with a chip on his shoulder.  Mostly entertaining.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)