Pippin's Diamond

Those were the words of a friend of mine as soon as this movie was over. But I can't completely agree with him. The film was decently entertaining, and if you're bored and have nothing else to watch, it's a good way to pass the time.

The direction is nothing special, in fact, I found the action scenes being very lackluster. The plot is nothing new. The acting is decent. But it's actually the atmosphere that is my major problem with this movie. It seems like a product of the 80's, when in fact it was made in 1996! It doesn't manage to escape the run-of-the-mill "fantasy" look. It doesn't manage to look different or special, and that was a real disappointment for me.

Kids will like it, but I doubt anybody else would want to watch it more than once if it's not part of their childhood memories.

4/10

I don't know what to say about this movie. It sets out to be cold, and it is. I'm not particularly fond of the direction or the score, but the performances are solid and the overall subtlety makes it all feel real, perhaps a bit too real.

Admittedly, when I watch a movie I generally expect something different. Something that I can't see in real life, or something that depicts real life in a way I find interesting (I thoroughly enjoyed The Sweet Hereafter). To me, this movie did not deliver. It's slow, the characters are in their majority uninteresting, and I can't care about any of them or their lives. And the so-called ice storm... it was just background. IMHO the film would've been just as cold without it.

Additionally, I didn't find anything in it that could "make me think". It's about real people with boring, troubled lives. My own life is more interesting, and I'm better off thinking about the direction of my own life and the consequences of my own actions than about the dysfunctional lives of these fictional characters, none of which I could identify with. Surely the novel by Rick Moody must be better.

I recommend this film to older people who had similar experiences during the 70's, and people in general who enjoy this kind of real-life drama. However, if you're like me and expect something fantastic, insightful, special or just plain fun in a film, go somewhere else.

7/10

I got it only because I needed to see a particular actor that's in it, and I thought I was going to have to endure it because as a rule I despise romantic comedies. But this one... by God, I liked it! In fact, I love it, and I've never regretted the 10 bucks I paid for it. It's so very charming. Even my brother liked it, and believe me, that's really saying something! This movie manages to exist in its own little world, it creates an atmosphere. That's something I find lacking in many movies. Some people complain about the silly special effects, but IMO they're part of the atmosphere and they make it all feel somewhat magical. The music is also very good at setting the mood (I really wish I could get that Al Di La song somewhere!). If you've ever been in love, go get this film.