superultraman

I am amazed at the lack of true movie knowledge that is displayed in these boards sometimes. If I had to guess at the age of the writers of bad reviews this particular movie has garnered in the reviews preceding mine, I would say at best 18. Not a single one of these unknowing boobs remembers Cary Grant, nor the fast-talking zany comedies like Bringing up Baby, and again nor the romance comedies of Hepburn & Tracy.

The Coen Brothers like to do re-hashes, ie. Miller's Crossing/Blood Simple/Big Lebowski are their different takes on film noir. And now they made an amusing film of a different era again. Sexiness/chemistry does not mean bare flesh, nor does action or cursing make a modern classic. The one fault of the Coen's in making this movie was a lack of close-ups - a dead giveaway for what they were trying to achieve.

At best, this is a funny romantic black comedy, with witty dialogue. At worst, it is absurdist black comedy.

... considering how good a movie Gettysburg was, there just aren't enough words to describe how bad the G & G experience fails. It doesn't matter how anyone 'sides' with the North or South as a viewer - it's just a horrific movie to sit through. For example:

Robert Duvall didn't carry any of the frail authority that Martin Sheen used for his portrayal of Lee. Maybe Duvall was sniffin that napalm again... It would have been nice to see where the cannonballs land after they are fired - there were no large exterior shots of cannonballs landing amidst hundreds of soldiers, which was something I thought could have been added to Gettysburg (didn't ted have a budget for digital images?)... the movie should have been called the General Stonewall Jackson Story... and what was with the horrific Hallmark Card dialogue? If I wanted hero-worshipping tripe, I would have watched Gladiator again...

also ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE is there an explanation as to why Pres Lincoln ordered the army into Virginia outside of Fort Sumter being fired upon. Hmmm, maybe because several states voted to SECEDE from the Union - isn't that treason? Funny, in these post-911 days, try to imagine a state of the USA trying such a thing...

Why the musical numbers? Gettysburg got along GREAT without 10 minutes of needless singing. Why didn't the editors trim the fat off this thing? How come the subtitles were practically meaningless considering the scope of the fighting?

Maybe this is a sophomore jinx, but boy, one hopes that the creative contingent learns their lessons for the next one. There is absolutely No redeeming factor in watching this movie. Anyone who says so is blindly waving a flag... and it wouldn't be Old Glory...

I made the mistake of renting this last week. I respected Friedkin for The Exorcist & To Live & Die in LA, but the special features give the reason for its ineptitude. Friedkin apparently knew the guy the movie was based upon, and came up with an idea for a movie. Ideas by themselves don't make good movies; good movies also require inspiration. there was absolutely nothing inspired about the script. In addition to that, there was horrific editing, minimalist dialogue, and so-so action.

I have enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones & Benicio Del Toro in the past, but even superb talents like them can only do so much with what is given.