TIG

I just saw Made last night on video. But for the Vince Vaughn character this was a really good film. The story traces a few weeks in the lives of a couple of Italian American Hollywood High School losers. The guys earn their keep by working construction jobs and aspire to be boxers, although they are not very good at either. John Favreau's character Bobby is a decent guy who is loyal to a fault to his buddy Ricky, played by Vince Vaughn. Ricky is not only a stupid loser but he is also one of the more annoying people you would ever want to see. To make a long story short Bobby gets the chance to make some real money as a thug in Max's (played well by Peter Falk)illegal operations organization. Bobby insists that his pal be in on the job and Max reluctantly agrees after Bobby vouches for him. For the get go Ricky's annoying behavior causes trouble for the guys. Shawn "P Diddy" Combs is their man in New york and Ricky does his best to queer the deal. Needless to say things work out in the end and there are a few decent twists and turns. The good thing about this movie is the fast pace of the stroy and the interesting way it is shot. Scenes at a stag party, on a plane and at a New york night club are done well. There is even a great scene involving a cameo by the actor Dustin Diamond, famous for playing Screech in Saved by the Bell. The Bobby character is very sympathetic and sincere and well played by Favreau. The problem with the movie is not so much that Vaughn's Ricky is so annoying that you want to turn to movie off but rather the huge inconsistencies in his character. One minute he is a total idiot, the next he seem smart but annoying, the next he is smart but not annoying and the next he says something that is in no way in line with his persona. While he is not meant to be a an that bright but he says and does too many things that betray his stupidity.

The fact that this film is set in Tehran makes it more then just a good little "slice of life" film. The setting and story give us a glimpse into ordinary life in one of the places that we westerners only read about in the newspapers and then only when bad things are happening there.

The story chronicles second grade student Mina's eventful trip home from school on a day that her mother fails to show up to take her home. Mina travels by scooter, bus, taxi and on foot through the frantic traffic of downtown Tehran. On her way home she meets with and overhears conversations by many different people from an old woman, to a police officer, to a auto mechanic. Mina also manages to quit the movie about half way through yet her odyssey continues anyway hence the film's title. Mina is very fresh and cute, the bit players are all very real and the trip home from school is fraught with situations that waiver between poignient to funny. Everything adds up to a film well worth watching.

While it was nice to see a film about older people finding each other and falling in love and the performances by Andrews and Garner were not bad, this picture poured on the sapp and schmaltz at every turn. Every curve in the plot was in view from a mile away!