March 24, 2011

A Wedding (1978)

A Wedding displays lesser quality Robert Altman as the camera meanders through the titular ceremony and dinner while contrived and uninteresting situations happen to all involved - typical Altman minus the contrived and uninteresting. It's not as absorbing as Nashville or as funny as M.A.S.H. but the large and evolving cast did catch my eye with Carol Burnett, Vittorio Gassman, Geraldine Chaplin, Dina Merrill, Lillian Gish (luminescent even as a corpse), Pat McCormick and Mia Farrow standing out. But if you're not a real fan of bland familial scenes and happenstance, best be moving along.




March 19, 2011

Inception (2010)

Complication does not equal sophistication in Christopher Nolan's way-overrated dream film, Inception. Nolan changes his own rules to propel the story forward without regard to the laws of physics or the intelligence of the viewer. Some good effects wrap this one in the idea of smarts without the actual work to get them.




March 18, 2011

Soylent Green (1973)

Soylent Green is the final film in the Last Man Standing science fiction trilogy that Charlton Heston made in the late 60s/early 70s and it manages to be creepily interesting despite his presence. The movie takes place in 2022 (via 1973), it's tense, has an edgy story, and some far out scenes (including the scooper and Edward G. Robinson's final scene). Once you've seen it, you'll never EVER forget what Soylent Green is.




March 14, 2011

The Oh in Ohio (2006)

Parker Posey fans will drool over her performance as Priscilla, ice queen of Cleveland in The Oh In Ohio. Despite the iciness, Posey is charming and likable in this seldom funny but somewhat endearing comedy about a woman who learns to have an orgasm. Liza Minnelli as a masturbation therapist, Heather Graham as a sex shop clerk, Danny DeVito as the pool guy, Paul Rudd as Posey's husband and Mischa Barton (?) as the high school student all rise to Posey's crescendo nicely but the whole is worth less than its (private) parts.