BLUE IN THE FACE and Other Films
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael John Legeros
Contents ========
- Introduction - BLUE IN THE FACE - DEAD PRESIDENTS - A MONTH BY THE LAKE - VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN - Recent Ratings
Introduction ============
Why are the trailers giving away so much plot, these days? I've seen *far* more of NICK OF TIME, FATHER OF THE BRIDE II, and MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS that I ever necessarily needed to. The ads for OTHELLO look good, though, and wisely avoid overdoing the dialogue. (Here's a thought: how about Demi as Desdemona? Moor versus Moore? Iago-a- go-go? Imagine the ending to *that* one!) The new Woody Allen, MIGHTY APHRODITE, is in limited release and doesn't open in our area until November 10th. Grrr. The same weekend as ACE VENTURA 2. The other big dates: November 17th, for AMERICAN PRESIDENT and GOLDENEYE, and November 22nd, for FOUR ROOMS, CASINO, TOY STORY, and, maybe, MONEY TRAIN, NICK OF TIME, and WAITING TO EXHALE. Phew.
BLUE IN THE FACE ================
I walked out of SMOKE; I stayed for BLUE IN THE FACE. Paul Auster and Wayne Wang's improvised, quasi-sequel to SMOKE is a mildly diverting, occasionally hilarious love-letter to the borough with an attitude. Short sketches, star testimonials, and man-on-the-street interviews make for an amusing, if slight, exploration of all things that are Brooklyn. So, in addition to cameos by Madonna, Lou Reed, Jim Jarmusch, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, and Michael J. Fox, expect plenty of talk about the Dodgers, Belgian waffles, and plastic bags in the trees.
Grade: C
DEAD PRESIDENTS ===============
Three movies in one. A coming-of-age tale set in the South Bronx, a tour of duty in Vietnam, and an armored car heist. The last is the one that they show in all the ads, and the least successful segment in this well-intentioned period drama from Albert and Allen Hughes (MENACE II SOCIETY). Good humor and honest performances in the first segment lead into a stunning war sequence that's not for the faint- hearted. (Severed heads and strewn intestines, anyone?) The Big Heist, at the end, is where the narrative becomes choppy. Huge chunks of the story seem to be missing, perhaps to trim an already- healthy running time? By the end, nothing makes sense. If there's an overt social statement lurking about, it's buried under a mound of other, unresolved issues.
Grade: C+
A MONTH BY THE LAKE ===================
The polite chemistry between Edward Fox and Vanessa Redgrave is the reason to watch this frothy, light comedy about a pair of Britons vacationing at a lakeside resort in Italy. The veteran actors are a joy to behold, despite director John Irvin's incessant close-ups and a story that sags toward the end. Uma Thurman co-stars as an American nanny whose disposable flirting with Fox gets taken far more seriously than it should be. She's also a bit of a sore thumb, here, in comparison to the more-distinguished acting styles of the others. >From the novella by H. E. Bates.
Grade: B
VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN ===================
Eddie Murphy sucks. Authentic horror director Wes Craven (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) tries in vain (vein?) to strike a balance between the jugular and the funny bone. He fails at almost every cross. Eddie sleepwalks through his undead performance as a Caribbean Count, scouting the borough for his half-vampire mate (Angela Bassett, who has seen stranger days). The laughs are few, the set design is lousy, and there isn't one single campy cameo to speak of. Even John Landis did better with his half-baked INNOCENT BLOOD.
Grade: D
Recent Ratings ==============
BLUE IN THE FACE : C COPYCAT : B+ DEAD PRESIDENTS : C GET SHORTY : B+ JADE : D MALLRATS : B- A MONTH BY THE LAKE : B THE SCARLET LETTER : D STRANGE DAYS : B+ VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN : D
-- Michael J. Legeros - Raleigh, NC legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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