bergsy-2

totally predictable plot (although the final few frames were nicely done), unbelievably banal dialog capped by McDormand's soliloquy to her son -- how such a great actress agreed to deliver such tripe is beyond me -- this movie just fails. I can't understand the favorable reviews.

Opera fans will understand if I say that the plot is less creative, more believable, and more boring than "Cosi Fan Tutte," and without the Mozart music there is really no reason at all to sit through this flic.

And what's with the supposed-to-be-sexy shots of the Alex character who makes love and goes skinny-dipping without removing her top? What great auteur figured that one out? Supposed to show the prudishness of the character who tells her lover "f*** me!"? Va savoir...

very well directed and acted; lots of creativity in the details of the plot -- BUT at bottom just a completely trite and predictable tale of the sexually repressed spinster who can't handle the conflicts in her life and goes crazy. By about half way to the end, it clearly had to end either in her death or her committment to an insane asylum (as, we are informed, happened to her father!!).

This is nothing but a well-done exploitation flick, trading on the soft porno scenes to attract an audience.

Anyhow there was a lot of nice music from time to time...

This is the first time I've been happy for Philip K Dick that he didn't live to see one of his stories made into a movie. Androids and Electic Sheep -- Blade Runner -- got ruined with the Hollywood ending but was stunning and provocative anyway. And then the "director's cut" fixed it. Remember for you Wholesale -- Total Recall -- got expanded almost completely away from the story, and the interest groups as well as the individual characters got simplified to the point of nonsense, but watching Arnold Agonize (his tormented face alone was worth the price of admission) and then kick ass was still fun. But this one?!?!?

A fascinating approach to guilt and innocence, free will or determinism, individual rights (as we know them, anyway) vs. a policelman's view of how society should be run -- all mushed up with machines and men that fly through the air, ETs that float in water and see future murders -- And Tom Cruise, who elsewhere has been a fine actor as well as great eye candy, just mugs away. The whole thing is cheap trash. Too bad, Phil...