Gideon58's Reviews

The 1973 version of The Three Musketeers is, hands down, the best version of this tale ever made. Director Richard Lester manages to concoct a perfect blend of comedy, romance, and swashbuckling adventure into a magical movie adventure that is a joy from beginning to end.

Michael York gives the performance of his career as D'artagnan. York has never been more sexy on screen. I absolutely fell in love with the man after seeing this movie.

Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay are great as the Musketeers and Faye Dunaway makes a sexy and sinister Lady DeWinter. And in the best performance of her career that actually won her a Golden Globe, Raquel Welch shines as Constance, the Queen's lady-in-waiting and the object of York's affections. Welch has never been more appealing on screen, revealing a wonderful gift for light comedy never revealed before. This film is pure magic and a treat for all fans of adventure and fun. 8/10

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Doris Day made a lot of movies that were a lot better than people knew and so many of them went practically unnoticed. A prime example was the 1963 comedy The Thrill of it All, which starred Doris as Beverly Boyer, the wife of a doctor (James Garner), who, quite accidentally, becomes a television spokesperson for a product called "Happy Soap" and becomes an overnight celebrity much to the consternation of her husband.

Day is at the height of her charm here, completely winning as the housewife thrown into the celebrity spotlight and unsure of how to handle it. Garner matches her note for note as the slightly chauvinistic husband who would rather have his wife at home.

There is also a lovely supporting turn by Arlene Francis as a patient of Garner's who Doris actually helps to give birth in a cab and Carl Reiner (who also co-wrote the screenplay) has an amusing set of cameos as the star of the show where Happy Soap is advertised. A warm family comedy that showcases brilliantly why the world loved Doris Day...and still does. 8/10

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The Towering Inferno is the classic Irwin Allen disaster film adapted from two novels, THE GLASS INFERNO and THE TOWER, which chronicles the attempt to rescue a large group of people trapped in a burning skyscraper in downtown San Francisco. The opening scenes that introduce the characters are pretty silly, but once the fire is blazing and the rescue attempts begin, the movie is quite exciting and you find yourself guessing who's going to make it and who won't.

Aided by state of the art special effects (for 1974), the all-star cast is headed by Steve McQueen as the head fireman and Paul Newman as the architect who designed the building.

The film also features Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain (in an especially slimy turn as the contractor whose shortcuts in meeting safety codes may have been the cause of the fire), OJ Simpson, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, and Susan Flannery. Fred Astaire received his only competitive Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a charming con man who falls for Jones. A rousing and exciting adventure that will keep you glued to the screen. 8/10

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Another of my favorite classics from childhood was 1966's The Trouble with Angels, a sassy and entertaining comedy from a time long forgotten about two teenagers (Hayley Mills, June Harding) who meet at a Catholic convent school called St. Francis Academy, who become fast friends and cause nothing but headache for the Mother Superior (Rosalind Russell). I remember seeing this movie in the theaters during its original theatrical release and enjoying it immensely. Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills were both at the top of their game as the protagonists in this comedic cat and mouse game between student and administrator where you know something has got to give at some point and it actually does. Laughs and warmth abide in this entertaining family comedy, the likes of which we will never see again. 7.5/10

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The Truman Show was an intelligent and stylish social commentary about lost hopes and dreams, as well as the effect the media has on us.

Writer Andrew Nicol and director Peter Weir take us into the extraordinary world of Truman Burbank, a sheltered young man with an alleged perfect life whose life, as it is slowly revealed to the viewer, is a 24-7 television show, directed by a God-like dictator (Ed Harris)who has televised and controlled Truman'life from birth and is determined to hold onto Truman even after he has caught onto what is happening.

The thing I love about this story is the way it unfolds slowly...the story is told at a leisurely pace and we are only thrown subtle clues at first. There's a wonderful moment where Truman is walking down the street and is almost brained on the head by a spotlight. The expression on Truman's face at seeing a spotlight fall from the sky is just priceless and we are scratching our heads the same way Truman is. Once Truman realizes what is going on, he wants nothing to do with it and attempts to escape.

Whether or not Truman escapes is unimportant, what is important is watching Truman trying to figure out what is going on. Jim Carrey redefined his career completely with this completely captivating performance in the title role.

Carrey proved that he knew how to do more than pratfalls and mugging with this thoughtful and riveting performance and it was outrageous that Carrey was not nominated for an Academy Award. I don't know about winning but he at least deserved a nomination. Ed Harris, as Cristof, the director of Truman's show, gives the performance of his career that should have won him the Oscar. He was nominated but was robbed. A wonderful film that is worth seeing if for no other reason than to marvel at the amazing performances of Carrey and Harris. 8.5/10

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There are only a handful of actresses out there right now who can completely command a screen to the point that I will see anything they do and three-time Oscar nominee Joan Allen is definitely one of them and it is her dazzling performance which is the main selling point of The Upside of Anger, an intelligent and offbeat comedy-drama which stars Allen as Terry Wolfmeyer, a highly strung but domineering wife and mother who goes into an emotional meltdown when she believes her husband has run off with his secretary. She lashes out at everyone, with her four daughters taking the brunt of her abuse, while tentatively broaching a relationship with a retired baseball player (Kevin Costner).

Allen turns in a gutsy and mesmerizing performance that should have earned her an Oscar nomination and her chemistry with Costner is surprisingly smooth. Alicia Witt, Erika Christiansen, Kerry Russell,and Evan Rachel Wood play Terry's daughters, who all have their own issues with Mom.

Director and screenwriter Mike Binder has not only fashioned a moving and human story with flawed and vivid characters but written a juicy role for himself as Christiansen's boss, who she falls for, much to Mom's chagrin. It's easy to get caught up in the emotional story, but it is the blockbuster star turn by the fabulous Joan Allen that makes this one a keeper. 8/10

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Adam Sandler's rather selective screen charisma is put to the ultimate test in The Waterboy, a silly but watchable comedy in which Sandler plays a backwards Louisiana Bayou goof ball who serves as water boy for his town's local college football team but discovers some inner rage within him which makes him to be an unstoppable defensive player for the previously losing football team.
Sandler works hard to make this character funny, but he saddles himself with that strange child-like voice that makes him hard to understand at times and eventually the character does start to grate on the nerves.

There are a couple of very effective supporting performances from Kathy Bates as Sandler's over-protective mother and Henry Winkler, in the performance of his career, as the neurotic coach of the team, who has more than his share of personal hang-ups. There are laughs scattered throughout but whether they sustain the entire film depends on your own tolerance of Adam Sandler. 6/10

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The Witches of Eastwick was a watchable 1987 comedy/drama about three repressed women (Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon) who have had bad experiences with men in the past and end up accidentally conjuring up what they believe is supposed to be the perfect man (Jack Nicholson); however, the man they conjure up and arrives in Eastwick to charm the three women turns out to be Satan.

There are some entertaining scenes in this film but there are problems too. Once Nicholson arrives on the scene, I don't understand why all three woman continue to vie for his attention. It makes no sense to me that these three woman who have supposedly been lifelong friends would fight over the same man; however, this film is completely watchable due to the hammy, overblown performance by Jack Nicholson as Daryl/The Devil. Nicholson just seems to be having a ball here and he makes this OK movie seem much better than it really is. 7/10

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I recently saw 1969's They Shoot Horses, Don't They? for the first time in its entirety. I had heard a lot about this film when it was first released and had seen bits and pieces of it in the past,but I found watching the entire film to be a devastating and shattering experience.

I must concur with another poster's comparison to the marathon dance contest participants to today's reality show contestants...there is an air of desperation surrounding these people that is sad and frightening to watch. Some of these people have pinned their entire existence on winning this marathon and you just know everyone can't win. As a matter of fact, if memory serves, we never find out who won, because the film focuses on those losers who have pinned their entire lives on this and don't make it.

Jane Fonda should have won the Best Actress Oscar for her Gloria Beatty, a strong yet pathetic creature who MUST win this marathon. Michael Sarrazin had the role of his career as Robert, the young man who becomes Gloria's partner by fate and becomes drawn into her web of depression and loneliness. Gig Young won an Oscar for his ultra-slick turn as the host and promoter of the marathon.

Memorable characterizations of other participants in the marathon are offered by Suhsannah York, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, and Bruce Dern. This film is not for every taste, but can be a haunting yet satisfying film experience for those who can handle it. Definitely not for the faint of heart and way ahead of its time. Exceptional direction by Sidney Pollack. 8.5/10

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This is Spinal Tap is the brilliant mock documentary that chronicles the final tour of an aging rock group. This razor sharp dig at the world of rock and roll marked the directoral debut of Rob Reiner and was the genesis of a rep company that would later bring us films like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Reiner appears as Marty DiBergi, a filmmaker who has decided to document the final tour of a legendary band called Spinal Tap which coincides with the release of their latest album called "Smell the Glove."

This film provides huge laughs as we see the band deal with less than stellar box office sales, lackluster public appearances, bad reviews, and some touching moments including one scene where they hear an old song of theirs on the radio while in a hotel room and hear themselves referred to as being in the "Where are they Now" file.

Reiner has assembled a superb cast working at the top of their form here: Michael McKean plays David St. Hubbins,lead singer and guitarist of the group; Christopher Guest practically steals the film as Nigel Tufnel, the other lead guitarist and David's childhood friend who were the nucleus of the band. Harry Shearer garners big laughs as Derek Smalls, the group's bass player.

There is one funny bit after another here including bungled hotel reservations, a guitar speaker that goes to "11", the band's inability to find the stage from their dressing room at a concert in Cleveland, and the tension that surfaces between David and Nigel when David's girlfriend Janine joins them on the tour.

Solid comic support is provided by Patric Macnee, Fran Drescher, Bruno Kirby, Tony Hendra (very funny as the band's manager), and some funny cameos by Ed Begley Jr. , Billy Crystal, and Howard Hesseman.

This comedy is so accurate in its depiction of the world of rock and roll that rocker Brett Michaels of Poison has been quoted as saying he finds watching this movie an uncomfortable experience. A fall-on-the-floor comedy classic that contains some moments of genuine warmth as well. 8.5/10

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One of my first exposures to Jerry Lewis as a child was the 1966 comedy Three on a Couch in which Jerry played a nebbish engaged to marry a beautiful psychiatrist (Janet Leigh) who he feels spends entirely too much time obsessing over three of her female patients (Leslie Parrish, Mary Ann Mobley, Gia Golan) who all have serious hang-ups regarding men and dating. In order to free up his fiancée so she'll have more time for him, Chris, Jerry's character, pretends to be three different guys and initiates a romance with all three women so that they'll gain some self-esteem where men are concerned and his fiancée will have more time to plan their wedding. I remember, even as a child, thinking to myself, "Does he really think he can get away with this?" but I guess if Jerry thought like I did, he'd have no career. The three imaginary suitors border on cartoon characters and the lovely Leigh is wasted in thankless role, but there are scattered laughs throughout and Jerry has made worst movies, but it's better than a route canal. 5/10

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The 1975 film version of the Who's Rock Opera Tommy is a motion picture experience unlike any other. Director Ken Russell takes us on a roller coaster ride of a story, putting starkly original visuals to the Who's original opera. In this version, Tommy is struck blind, deaf, and mute after witnessing his mother's lover murder his father after he finds the lover and mother in bed together and then follows the boy's journey to adult hood where he discovers an ability to play pinball machines by touch and eventually becomes a cult leader whose followers get out of control.

The Who's memorable music is still center stage but there are wonderful performances, headed by Ann-Margret, who received her one and only Best Actress Oscar nomination for her full-bodied performance as Nora Walker, Tommy's mother. The late Oliver Reed is equally memorable as Frank, Nora's lover and Who lead singer Roger Daltrey, who proves to have an engaging screen presence in the title role. There are also memorable bits contributed by Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, Eric Clapton as a Preacher, Jack Nicholson as the doctor, and Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie. There are wildly imaginative scenes that won't soon be forgotten such as Tommy's visit to a church whose God is Marilyn Monroe and Ann-Margret's unforgettable bath in a wash of soap suds, chocolate, and baked beans.

An original assault on the senses that you won't soon forget. Not for all tastes, but for the brave and bold moviegoer, keep an open mind and give it a look...also, for my money, the LOUDEST movie ever made. 7.5/10

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If someone ever wanted to write a textbook on how to make the perfect movie comedy, this film should be the number one reference point. The 1982 film Tootsie became an instant classic and is just as funny twenty-three years later as it was at the time of initial release. I love this movie because, like The Wizard of Oz, no matter how many times I watch it, I always see something I never noticed before.

Sidney Pollack's inspired direction (and those who know Hoffman, know he probably "collaborated" with Pollack)perfectly brought together all the elements of this winning story about an unemployed actor/acting teacher/waiter named Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) who, despite being a wonderful actor, cannot get work as he has earned a reputation for being "difficult."

Desperate to earn $8000.00 in order to produce a play that his roommate (Bill Murray) wrote, he dresses in drag and auditions for a role on a soap opera and actually gets the part. Complications ensue when he falls in love with the soap's leading lady (Jessica Lange), butts head with the soap's creepy director (Dabney Coleman), and has to hide what he's doing from his neurotic friend (Teri Garr, in a performance that should have won her the Oscar)who also auditioned for the soap role he got, a ruse that has the woman convinced Michael is gay. And if that weren't enough, Lange's father, played by the always solid Charles Durning, falls in love with Michael's female alter ego, Dorothy Michaels.

Everything works in this film. Towering above everything is the amazing performance by Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels. Unlike Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, Hoffman is completely believable as a woman. As a matter of fact, his screen time as Dorothy is the strongest part of his performance. Jessica Lange is a charming leading lady (though I still think the Best Supporting Actress Oscar should have gone to Garr, not Lange)and even director Pollack makes his scenes count as Michael's agent George Fields. This film demands and deserves multiple viewings and will always be considered a benchmark of American film comedy.

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A charismatic and heartbreaking performance by the late Lee Remick is the centerpiece of Toughlove, a relatively interesting 1985 TV-movie, originally aired on ABC, that is made to be much better than it is because of Lee Remick's performance.

Remick and Bruce Dern play upper middle class suburbanites who are at their wits' end regarding how to handle their teenage son, whose drug addiction has his life spiraling out of control and is slowly and methodically destroying their family. Having tried everything thing else, the couple turn to an organization called Tough Love, which teaches parents to go on the offensive with out of control children: If your child is constantly staying out past his curfew, lock the front door at curfew and put the dead bolt on or if your child gets arrested, don't bail him out, let him experience the consequences of his actions.

This film chronicles the couples' initial reluctance to be so harsh with their child but soon learn that Tough Love is the only thing that affects their son's behavior. Remick is the conflicted mother, torn between wanting her baby home with her and knowing that as long as she continues to baby her son, he will never change. The scene where they learn their son is in jail and refuse to bail him out is sad and brilliant. Dern and especially Remick give superb performances as does a young Jason Patric as their troubled son, Gary. Despite an ending that's a cop out, this is pretty compelling stuff for most of the ride, thanks primarily to the work of the amazing Lee Remick. 7/10

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A once-in-a-lifetime motion picture experience from writer-director Duncan Tucker, Transamerica is a gloriously courageous look at the underbelly of the human condition through the eyes of two lost and desperate souls who, for no logical reason, form a bond that they each initially resist.

This is the story of Bree (Felicity Huffman), a trans gendered individual (who was born Stanley), who, shortly before having his final surgery to become a woman, is completely thrown into a tailspin when he learns that he has a 17-year-old son, a streetwise punk who has been supporting himself in Manhattan as a male prostitute and is now in a juvenile detention center. She bails him out (for the bargain price of $1.00), marking the beginning of an amazing road trip for the two, complicated by the fact that Bree doesn't tell the boy who he really is, claiming instead to be a church missionary and it is the tension of waiting for the lie to be exposed and the immediate desire to see these two lost people become family that form the crux of this incredible story.

The rest of this film's formula for success rests with the astonishing performances by the two leads...Felicity Huffman, who won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for her performance, delivers what is probably the best performance I have seen of the decade as Bree/Stanley...her character is fiercely brave, tragically sad, and courageously funny. Huffman completely loses herself in this beautifully unique character that Tucker has created for her...Huffman beautifully internalizes the pain of this character while simultaneously nailing the physicality of the character. There is not one moment in the film where Huffman forgets that her character is a man. I love watching Bree walk. She walks like a man who doesn't know how to walk in high heels but wants to do so more than anything in the world. Not since Linda Hunt played a man inThe Year of Living Dangerously has a gender-switch performance been so completely vivid and believable.



Huffman is matched note for note by Kevin Zegers, who is sexy and dangerous as the desperate and angry Toby, a sad youth with a troubled past whose years of self-preservation on the road have turned him hard on the inside and old beyond his years. I can't recall the last time I saw two movie characters I have wanted to see form a relationship and felt like there was no way it was going to happen, which is what makes the film so mesmerizing.

There are also a couple of beautiful supporting turns from Graham Greene as a kind traveler who offers Bree and Toby shelter and a ride for a night and Finoula Flanagan as Bree's mother, a sophisticated bigot who refuses to accept her son's new life but is ready to welcome her new grandson with open arms. An extraordinary motion picture experience to be savored and a triumph for director-screenwriter Duncan Tucker. A winner. 8.5/10

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Trapped was a solid little thriller starring Oscar winner Charlize Theron as the mother of a kidnap victim (Dakota Fanning)who learns that her daughter was kidnapped because the kidnapper (Kevin Bacon) feels that Theron's physician/husband (Stuart Townsend) was responsible for his daughter's death.

Theron gives a convincing performance as a victim for a change and Kevin Bacon is properly menacing as the kidnapper, turning in a performance on caliber with his work in
The Woodsman and The River Wild. Fanning's annoyance factor is less obtrusive than usual and Townsend is surprisingly convincing as the husband.

There is also a standout supporting turn by Courtney Love as Bacon's girlfriend/accomplice. Love gives one of her most convincing performances here as a tragic heroine uncertain of where Bacon's priorities lie. Taut direction and good performances overcome a somewhat clichéd screenplay and despite a somewhat ridiculous finale, Trapped is a riveting ride for the majority of the journey. 7.5/10

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Twice in a Lifetime is an emotionally-charged family drama that, despite a somewhat muddled screenplay, still works thanks to some solid gold performances.

Gene Hackman plays a Seattle steelworker who loves the Seahawks and seems content with his life as he prepares for the wedding of his younger daughter (Ally Sheedy), but still feels something missing in his life. His private mid-life crises move him to leave his devoted wife (Ellen Burstyn) and begin a relationship with a local barmaid (Ann-Margret). His wife resigns herself to his decision but his elder daughter (Amy Madigan) does not and refuses to let Dad off the hook.

The screenplay is safe and predictable, but what makes this film worth watching is the powerhouse performances. Hackman's quiet and powerful turn as a man dealing with being at a crossroad he doesn't know how to handle, Burstyn's beautifully-realized vulnerability as the woman who is at a loss as to what went wrong in her marriage and Madigan, in a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination, icy and gripping as the daughter who refuses to accept her parents' divorce. Watching these wonderful actors take you through the roller-coaster of emotions involved in the rending apart of a family, make this movie something very special. 8/10

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Two Weeks is a quietly exquisite, deeply moving, and surprisingly hopeful drama centered on some very unpleasant subject matter. Writer and director Steve Stockman struck gold with this story of four adult siblings (Ben Chaplin, Julianne Nicholson, Tom Cavanaugh, Glenn Howerton)who return to their hometown in North Carolina to be at the bedside of their mother (beautifully played by Sally Field), who is dying of ovarian cancer.

This drama of the family's final time together is juxtaposed with a videotaped interview with Mom done by the eldest son (Chaplin) as sort of a final tribute to his mom before she gets too sick to remember things she wants to pass on.

This film offers surprises at every turn because it is more than the "sturm und drang" one would expect from such a story. Stockman puts a very human face on the subject of death and dying and because it is human, there is humor involved. There are laughs to be found here and they aren't the kind of laughs where you wonder whether or not being amused is appropriate. These are odd little moments throughout the film that we can all relate to...like one brother finding the cowboy sheets that were on his childhood bed and stashing them to take with him, or dealing with the problem of all the casseroles that well-intentioned friends and neighbors stuff the refrigerator with, or arguing with your siblings over the things Mom wants you to have and nobody wants.

The direction is a little static, but the screenplay has a deft quality to it and the performances are uniformly first-rate, with standout work from Field and Chaplin. A very special film experience...treat yourself.

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Adrian Lyne, the director who scared a lot of men out of cheating on their wives with his 1987 classic Fatal Attraction, takes another look at infidelity in Unfaithful, a dark and sexy drama about a suburban housewife (Diane Lane) who despite a perfect life with a devoted husband (Richard Gere)and loving son (Erik Per Sullivan) finds herself drifting into an affair with a sexy young book dealer (Olivier Martinez) who she meets accidentally in the city one day. Unlike Fatal Attraction's Dan Gallagher, Lane's Connie does not really go looking for this affair but finds herself inexplicably drawn to this man. Unlike Dan Gallagher, who immediately tries to end the tryst, Connie becomes completely consumed with thoughts of this man, that drive her to, among other things, public masturbation and sex in the hallway of his apartment building.

This film features characters stepping out of their comfort zones and learning there are aspects of their lives that they've taken for granted, as well as moments of characters not being everything we expect them to be. The first sexual encounter between the housewife and the book seller so brilliantly illustrates the conflict in her mind regarding what is going on. The whole time he is undressing her and touching and caressing her, she is in tears, but she doesn't stop him either. She knows what is about to happen is wrong, but she finds herself powerless to stop it either. On the other end of this compelling story, we watch as the husband slowly and methodically begins to put together what is going on and even as the evidence so glaring points in one direction, he continues to deny what is going on as long as he possibly can. But once Lane's husband learns of the affair, the story takes some surprising turns.

This is a riveting drama anchored by Lyne's undeniable eye for what is erotic on the silver screen and a superb performance from Diane Lane, which earned the actress her first Oscar nomination. Gere is solid as the bewildered husband and Martinez is a dark and sexy leading man. The movie also features supporting bits from Chad Lowe, Margaret Colin, and Kate Burton, but it is Lyne's masterful direction and the performances of Gere and especially Lane that are really the stars here.

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For those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and are still dealing with what happened on that awful, awful day, it might be wise to skip United 93, a one of a kind motion picture that blends fact and speculation in chronicling what happened aboard one of the four American jetliners that were hijacked on that fatal day.

Less is probably known about this flight because this was the one plane that never made it to its destination. This meticulously crafted melodrama tells this difficult story in as much detail as possible, beginning with the the hijackers' preparation for what they are about to do (and from the way it's presented in this film, they did not all appear to be willing participants in this mission) to the final moments this flight was in the air.

Director and screenwriter Paul Greenspan proves to be a master storyteller and has mounted this story almost in the form of a documentary. Greenspan wisely chose not to populate the cast with big name stars, the biggest star I recognized was Christian Clemenson who played Jerry Espinson on Boston Legal. Greenspan clearly didn't want the viewer to be distracted from the story by having us star-gazing...the story is the star of the film as it should he.

Several of the ground personnel depicted in the film are actually air traffic personnel and not actors, which adds a definite air of authenticity to the story. The musical score is minimal...the power of the story compels the film with such power that music is not really needed.

The story seamlessly moves from the ground, where air traffic personnel are trying to figure out what is going on, initially believing it all to be a hoax and aboard the flight of the title, where once the plane has been taken over, the passengers realize the helplessness of their situation and make a plan to take the plane back from the terrorists. We then see half of the passengers planning the attack while we see the other half on phones to loved ones saying goodbye. It's not an easy film to watch, but it is a beautifully mounted film that is a sober reminder of a little known event that was part of the worst day in American History. A must-see film.

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