Spring Film Reviews
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael John Legeros
Contents ========
i. BYE BYE, LOVE ii. DOLORES CLAIBORNE iii. MAJOR PAYNE iv. MAN OF THE HOUSE v. MIAMI RHAPSODY vi. ROOMMATES vii. SHALLOW GRAVE
Introduction ============
Lots to see this weekend. Some of what's new includes ANCHORESS, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, EXOTICA, FEDERAL HILL, MARTHA AND ETHEL, MURIEL'S WEDDING, MAJOR PAYNE, SATAN'S BREW, and TALL TALE: THE UNBELIEVABLE ADVENTURES OF PECOS BILL. Check local listings and, then on Monday night, sit back and enjoy the most exciting evening of the year, when Mujibur & Sirajul host the 67th Annual Academy Awards.
BYE BYE, LOVE 106 min. / Rated "PG" =============
The latest twist on the PARENTHOOD formula stars Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine, and Randy Quaid as a trio of divorced dads trying to adjust to the demands of dating. The cast is extra-appealing, but the film fails in so many ways that it hardly seems worth the trip. (Said problems range from extraneous plotting to oppressive product plugs.) If there's a single reason to see this film, it's to catch Randy Quaid's hilarious Blind Date From Hell with Janeane Garofalo (CLERKS).
Grade: D+
DOLORES CLAIBORNE 131 min. / Rated "R" =================
Another one of the "good" Stephen King films, and a fine companion piece to THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Director Taylor Hackford (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN) and writer Tony Gilroy expand the bestseller-- about a feisty New England woman (Kathy Bates) facing her second accusation of murder-- by introducing an adult daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who does not appear in the novel.
Purists may scoff, but the added conflict works. Sure, the film gets heavy-handed in spots--as well as a bit too tidy toward the end--but the warmth of the source material still shines through. A fine showcase for the talents of the cast, which includes Christopher Plummer as the local investigator. Great cinematography by Gabriel Beristain, too.
TRIVIA: By my count, this is the 34th adaptation of a Stephen King
story for film or television.
Grade: B+
MAJOR PAYNE Rated "PG-13" ===========
Homey the Clown as a soldier. That's the idea behind this silly, rude, and ultimately hilarious comedy about a strict military officer (Damon Wayans) assigned to a platoon of junior ROTC cadets. What sounds dangerously uplifting is really nothing more than two hours of Damon Wayans spouting insults and excrement jokes. Set in the same universe as the Three Stooges-- where anything can happen and usually does-- this is critic-proof comedy at its best. Don't even bother to bring a brain.
Based on THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR BENSON (1955).
Grade: C+
MAN OF THE HOUSE 98 min. / Rated "PG" ================
Forget the ads that promise slapstick and silliness, Disney's MAN OF THE HOUSE is really just a kiddie-drama about a single mom, her son, and her fiance. Farrah Fawcett is the mom, Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the son, and they *both* sleepwalk through their parts. Chevy Chase plays the the fiance and he plays it straight.
The story appears to have been written for an audience under twelve. Parents may appreciate the refreshingly inoffensive story, but it's a long sit for the rest of us. Even us former Indian Guides.
Grade: D+
MIAMI RHAPSODY 95 min. / Rated "PG-13" ==============
Go see it. First-time writer/director David Frankel has made his own Woody Allen movie, albeit one with a younger cast and brighter locales. Forget WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, this is the Allen homage to beat! Sarah Jessica Parker stars a young, single woman who becomes increasingly neurotic as she discovers that everyone in her family is having an affair.
The plot is predictable, sure, but the tone is light, and the jokes are fresh. The superb supporting cast includes Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Kevin Pollak, Paul Mazursky, and, yes, Mia Farrow.
I've seen it twice.
Grade: A-
ROOMMATES 108 min. / Rated "PG" =========
Yet another mild drama, this one starring Peter Falk in heavy latex as a ninety-something Polish immigrant who moves in with his 25 y.o. medical student grandson (D. B. Sweeney). Though Falk is fun to watch, there isn't much of an edge to the story. Characters come and go, situations happen, and each person gets fleshed out just enough to be interesting, but not necessarily engrossing. Tastefully directed by Peter Yates (BREAKING AWAY).
Grade: B
SHALLOW GRAVE Not Rated =============
Three flat-mates, one body, and a suitcase full of money are the motivations behind this tepid thriller from Scotland. Director Danny Boyle has visual style to spare, but his characters are too unappealing to be interesting. How can you care about people that you don't even like to watch? Grisly fun in spots; quite boring the rest of the time.
Grade: C-
-- Michael J. Legeros Raleigh, North Carolina
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