Shorter-than-short reviews that I should have written a while ago.
In order of preference:
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The Secret Lives of Dentists, B:
Campbell Scott's awesome, and there’s a lot to like in the unaffected, realistic familial relationships the film illustrates (child actors pretty awesome as well), but the film leans too much on Scott’s temporary dementia -- a certain character actor is too ubiquitous: you’ll know exactly what I mean if you see the film -- and the last 10 minutes didn’t work for me (mostly, I didn’t believe Scott’s and Davis’ Big Scene). In general, a bit stranger than I had expected, but not bad. Kim liked it slightly less.
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Miracle, B:
Too Hollywoody, of course, but the filmmakers made a number of good decisions: Casting skaters rather than actors for the hockey team; cutting down the six months of preparation to three or four in-depth scenes rather than, say, a montage (the “Again!” scene would have been one of my half-dozen favorite of last year had it ended better); ignoring most of the Olympics to focus on one specific game (and showing that game in massive depth and intensity, much like the superior cricket film Lagaan); Clarkson; Russell; Russell’s hair; Mean Joe Greene. Pretty much as good as this film could have been. Kim liked it as well.
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American Splendor, B:
Obviously a well-made, distinctive film, and of course I dig the smearing of the fiction/nonfiction line, but, I dunno, I don’t get the fuss over Harvey, either here or in what I’ve read of his comics. Hard to not like it, but not one of the best of last year (as critics everywhere seem to think). I think Kim was somewhat more negative on the film.
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The Triplets of Belleville, C
Kind of a shocker, really: I can't immediately think of a film that is so successful on a micro level -- viewing just about any two-minute segment, sans context, would no doubt interest me -- yet such a complete macro failure. It's the same problem as some of Guy Maddin's earlier films, but worse: Brilliant style with actively nonsensical substance cannot sustain a half-hour film, let alone one of feature length. Kim felt largely the same way.
i sincerely do not know what you are doing here. are you lost? were you
looking for your delicate calico cat, and did you follow her up two flights of stairs
to this room? she is not here. she was here, yes. we gave her a warm bowl of milk, we talked with her about campaign finance reform for a time, and then she bid us good day. i believe she was
going to the post office two blocks down, but i don't quite recall.
for surely you did
not find your way from prinsiana, the least traveled site on
the internet. if you did, though, perhaps you are looking for humor. perhaps you are looking for profundity. perhaps you are looking for answers.
i'm sorry, but you shall go naught-for-three.
