Greg-Kinnear Movie Reviews
Dang, but that Ashley's cute!
Excellent
stuck on CHER!the best thing in this movie that you will see in a different look every time..60's lady..80's punk!
i really recommend you to see this /buy this dvd-if realeased!
A "Thinker"
encompassing. . .
A thought-provoking and reflective film about relationshipsFirst of all, kudos to the playwright; I'm always impressed when male writers can capture the female psyche with expertise and intuition and translate it to a three dimensional character. Expect nothing less than completely truthful revelations about what women are like, or what they can become, in long-term relationships. It may be painful for some people to watch because many of us in this society go through our relationships with blinders on; a lot of couples live in denial. Hopefully this film will foster some degree of understanding, compassion, and discussion in its viewers.
Secondly, the cast was nothing less than extraordinary. Because of the rich dialogue, these actors were finally given a chance to show a great deal of range. Dennis Quaid's performance was simply incredible; he surprises me all the time by outdoing himself with each new role. It's a testament to how often women underestimate men and their complex needs and desires within a relationship. A couple of the scenes involving Dennis Quaid's and Greg Kinnear's characters are the most heart-breaking because they reveal a great deal of wisdom that tragically, they cannot manage to impart with their wives. Toni Collette and Andie MacDowell are equal to the task of playing against the two male leads. There is a great deal of humor, warmth, and chemistry between all of the actors.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in understanding the opposite sex. There's an important lesson to be learned as well: when it comes to relationships, we are all active participants and we need to learn to take accountability for our actions. Especially those we inflict on our loved ones.
2 Thumbs Down for the "Sabrina" remakeI'm very bummed out seeing these three excellent actors trying to recreate--or, re-realize--what is so classically timeless and charming and something that so belongs to three other actors that can never be matched! Julia Ormond is so beautiful in her own right, and she won my eternal admiration as a contemporary screen icon for her performance in "Smilla's Sense of Snow," but she cannot--and should not try to--compare with Hepburn. Ditto for Ford in his recreation of the Bogart role. I say, let all three of these contemporary actors become/remain screen icons in their own right/time, but there is no way they can compete with the screen icons of that other time via this movie. Furthermore, Audrey could not replace Julia in "Smilla," nor could Bogie replace Harrison in the numerous roles Ford has made classic and memorable. The updated scenarios/references in this remake are, for the most part, trivial and empty. Please, go buy/rent the original 1954 version of this film. It is simply NOT TO BE MISSED! There is a magic in it that you just won't find in this re-make, and I'm sorry (for these actors) to have to say it.
More than just a romantic comedy...
Julia Ormond shines in role played by Hepburn!Julia Ormond's transformation to the luminously beautiful "woman of the world" Sabrina, is every bit as believable as Hepburn's earlier transformation. Ormond's chemistry with Harrison Ford is far more believable and charming, as Linus tries to distract Sabrina from her obsessive fascination with his younger brother, David, now engaged to the daughter of a business associate.
Harrison Ford gives his portrayal of Linus the needed humanity that Bogart's portrayal lacked. Linus, in Ford's capable hands, revealed the weight of being the older, more responsible brother, in whom the family fortune rested. Yet, Linus yearned to fall in love, and until Sabrina's return from Paris, and their mock courtship, he didn't believe it could ever happen. I really believed he was falling in love with Ormond's Sabrina.
Ford's Linus seemed genuinely heartbroken when he admitted the truth about the Paris trip to Sabrina. He watched with dismay, as her heart broke, to realize he'd been playing her for a fool during their romance. That's why their reunion in Paris, at the end, was so satisfying!
Greg Kinear's David was also more humane and less calculating, than William Holden's in the original version. I felt David's anger at his brother's deceptive romance of Sabrina. And so his punching Linus was a more realistic response.
I highly recommend this movie to all romantics! It also makes a great date film. A great update of an earlier classic, this film may well become a classic in its own right.
2 Thumbs Down for the "Sabrina" remakeI'm very bummed out seeing these three excellent actors trying to recreate--or, re-realize--what is so classically timeless and charming and something that so belongs to three other actors that can never be matched! Julia Ormond is so beautiful in her own right, and she won my eternal admiration as a contemporary screen icon for her performance in "Smilla's Sense of Snow," but she cannot--and should not try to--compare with Hepburn. Ditto for Ford in his recreation of the Bogart role. I say, let all three of these contemporary actors become/remain screen icons in their own right/time, but there is no way they can compete with the screen icons of that other time via this movie. Furthermore, Audrey could not replace Julia in "Smilla," nor could Bogie replace Harrison in the numerous roles Ford has made classic and memorable. The updated scenarios/references in this remake are, for the most part, trivial and empty. Please, go buy/rent the original 1954 version of this film. It is simply NOT TO BE MISSED! There is a magic in it that you just won't find in this re-make, and I'm sorry (for these actors) to have to say it.
More than just a romantic comedy...
Julia Ormond shines in role played by Hepburn!Julia Ormond's transformation to the luminously beautiful "woman of the world" Sabrina, is every bit as believable as Hepburn's earlier transformation. Ormond's chemistry with Harrison Ford is far more believable and charming, as Linus tries to distract Sabrina from her obsessive fascination with his younger brother, David, now engaged to the daughter of a business associate.
Harrison Ford gives his portrayal of Linus the needed humanity that Bogart's portrayal lacked. Linus, in Ford's capable hands, revealed the weight of being the older, more responsible brother, in whom the family fortune rested. Yet, Linus yearned to fall in love, and until Sabrina's return from Paris, and their mock courtship, he didn't believe it could ever happen. I really believed he was falling in love with Ormond's Sabrina.
Ford's Linus seemed genuinely heartbroken when he admitted the truth about the Paris trip to Sabrina. He watched with dismay, as her heart broke, to realize he'd been playing her for a fool during their romance. That's why their reunion in Paris, at the end, was so satisfying!
Greg Kinear's David was also more humane and less calculating, than William Holden's in the original version. I felt David's anger at his brother's deceptive romance of Sabrina. And so his punching Linus was a more realistic response.
I highly recommend this movie to all romantics! It also makes a great date film. A great update of an earlier classic, this film may well become a classic in its own right.
One of the '90s most beautiful comediesMelvin is a hateful and insensitive recluse with a debilitating mental disorder; Carol (Helen Hunt), a Manhattan waitress struggling with her son's chronic illness and finding her identity swallowed up in the process; Simon, a gay artist who loses everything when he is attacked and robbed in his own home. One by one they must learn to see the humanity in each other and, as importantly, in themselves ("Where'd I go?" asks Simon as he looks at the reflection of his battered face in the mirror). We, too, must learn to see the human being underneath the spiteful and vicious (if somewhat the "loveable rogue") in Melvin.
The theme is developed sensitively and beautifully throughout the course of the film (perhaps only slightly overlong at more than two hours), with help coming from a fourth character, Verdelle, a dog, whose pivotal role in the narrative is easily overlooked (standing in the same cinematic tradition as Toto of "The Wizard of Oz"). By the end of the film, we are aware that the big issues in the character's lives are still to be totally overcome, but the process of resolution has begun as it should, with the characters each recognizing the dignity and worth of the others (and themselves).
James L. Brook's delicate direction carefully avoids excessive sentimentalism and saccharine sweetness (though admittedly, it teeters perilously close to the edge at times), and results in one of the most charming and profound comedies of recent years.
As Good As It GotAlso, I've never been smitten with the lovely Helen Hunt.
Lastly, Greg Kinnear has always been REALLY too smarmy for me.
However, somehow AS GOOD AS IT GETS has a special place in my heart.
Nicholson is absolutely fabulous as the neurotic writer who, due to circumstances wildly beyond his control, has to not so much step outside of his comfort zone as he has to destroy the barriers that have isolated him from society when the people that make up the routine of his life -- eating at the corner restaurant, pestering the gay neighbors -- start to come apart at the seams. The crusty exterior, we learn, is just a facade, and the man underneath -- while not perfect -- accepts that life is worth living ... as good as it gets.
Helen Hunt is absolutely radiant in the role as the corner shop waitress who's forced to deal with Nicholson's habits ... and, much to her surprise and the audience, she begins to experience true emotion for the man.
Greg Kinnear plays the struggling artist role to perfection. He has bouts of great self-esteem countered by comic moments of heightened anxiety, and the subtlety he brings to his portrayal is may be all-too-Hollywood but is surprisingly human.
A perfect mix, this film is about AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
What if this is as good as it gets?There are so tremendously comic moments in the film. There are some brutally honest moments in the film. It is everything at once and yet so simplistic. Just a terrific film.
One of the '90s most beautiful comediesMelvin is a hateful and insensitive recluse with a debilitating mental disorder; Carol (Helen Hunt), a Manhattan waitress struggling with her son's chronic illness and finding her identity swallowed up in the process; Simon, a gay artist who loses everything when he is attacked and robbed in his own home. One by one they must learn to see the humanity in each other and, as importantly, in themselves ("Where'd I go?" asks Simon as he looks at the reflection of his battered face in the mirror). We, too, must learn to see the human being underneath the spiteful and vicious (if somewhat the "loveable rogue") in Melvin.
The theme is developed sensitively and beautifully throughout the course of the film (perhaps only slightly overlong at more than two hours), with help coming from a fourth character, Verdelle, a dog, whose pivotal role in the narrative is easily overlooked (standing in the same cinematic tradition as Toto of "The Wizard of Oz"). By the end of the film, we are aware that the big issues in the character's lives are still to be totally overcome, but the process of resolution has begun as it should, with the characters each recognizing the dignity and worth of the others (and themselves).
James L. Brook's delicate direction carefully avoids excessive sentimentalism and saccharine sweetness (though admittedly, it teeters perilously close to the edge at times), and results in one of the most charming and profound comedies of recent years.
As Good As It GotAlso, I've never been smitten with the lovely Helen Hunt.
Lastly, Greg Kinnear has always been REALLY too smarmy for me.
However, somehow AS GOOD AS IT GETS has a special place in my heart.
Nicholson is absolutely fabulous as the neurotic writer who, due to circumstances wildly beyond his control, has to not so much step outside of his comfort zone as he has to destroy the barriers that have isolated him from society when the people that make up the routine of his life -- eating at the corner restaurant, pestering the gay neighbors -- start to come apart at the seams. The crusty exterior, we learn, is just a facade, and the man underneath -- while not perfect -- accepts that life is worth living ... as good as it gets.
Helen Hunt is absolutely radiant in the role as the corner shop waitress who's forced to deal with Nicholson's habits ... and, much to her surprise and the audience, she begins to experience true emotion for the man.
Greg Kinnear plays the struggling artist role to perfection. He has bouts of great self-esteem countered by comic moments of heightened anxiety, and the subtlety he brings to his portrayal is may be all-too-Hollywood but is surprisingly human.
A perfect mix, this film is about AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
What if this is as good as it gets?There are so tremendously comic moments in the film. There are some brutally honest moments in the film. It is everything at once and yet so simplistic. Just a terrific film.
One of the '90s most beautiful comediesMelvin is a hateful and insensitive recluse with a debilitating mental disorder; Carol (Helen Hunt), a Manhattan waitress struggling with her son's chronic illness and finding her identity swallowed up in the process; Simon, a gay artist who loses everything when he is attacked and robbed in his own home. One by one they must learn to see the humanity in each other and, as importantly, in themselves ("Where'd I go?" asks Simon as he looks at the reflection of his battered face in the mirror). We, too, must learn to see the human being underneath the spiteful and vicious (if somewhat the "loveable rogue") in Melvin.
The theme is developed sensitively and beautifully throughout the course of the film (perhaps only slightly overlong at more than two hours), with help coming from a fourth character, Verdelle, a dog, whose pivotal role in the narrative is easily overlooked (standing in the same cinematic tradition as Toto of "The Wizard of Oz"). By the end of the film, we are aware that the big issues in the character's lives are still to be totally overcome, but the process of resolution has begun as it should, with the characters each recognizing the dignity and worth of the others (and themselves).
James L. Brook's delicate direction carefully avoids excessive sentimentalism and saccharine sweetness (though admittedly, it teeters perilously close to the edge at times), and results in one of the most charming and profound comedies of recent years.
As Good As It GotAlso, I've never been smitten with the lovely Helen Hunt.
Lastly, Greg Kinnear has always been REALLY too smarmy for me.
However, somehow AS GOOD AS IT GETS has a special place in my heart.
Nicholson is absolutely fabulous as the neurotic writer who, due to circumstances wildly beyond his control, has to not so much step outside of his comfort zone as he has to destroy the barriers that have isolated him from society when the people that make up the routine of his life -- eating at the corner restaurant, pestering the gay neighbors -- start to come apart at the seams. The crusty exterior, we learn, is just a facade, and the man underneath -- while not perfect -- accepts that life is worth living ... as good as it gets.
Helen Hunt is absolutely radiant in the role as the corner shop waitress who's forced to deal with Nicholson's habits ... and, much to her surprise and the audience, she begins to experience true emotion for the man.
Greg Kinnear plays the struggling artist role to perfection. He has bouts of great self-esteem countered by comic moments of heightened anxiety, and the subtlety he brings to his portrayal is may be all-too-Hollywood but is surprisingly human.
A perfect mix, this film is about AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
What if this is as good as it gets?There are so tremendously comic moments in the film. There are some brutally honest moments in the film. It is everything at once and yet so simplistic. Just a terrific film.
We Were Soldiers is a moving, human filmBased on Lt. Gen. Harold B. Moore and Joseph Galloway's non-fiction book We Were Soldiers Once....and Young, Wallace's film version is a realistic and respectful account of the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces in November of 1965.
Starring Mel Gibson as Lt. Col. Hal Moore, We Were Soldiers begins with the Vietnamese destruction of France's Mobile Group 100 in 1954, the same year that Diem Bien Phu fell and French involvement in Vietnam ended, paving the way for America's long and doomed intervention. This opening scene is graphically violent yet serves to drive home its point - to show the determination of the Vietnamese to drive off any outside force, even if it means being ruthless.
We Were Soldiers, unlike Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now or Oliver Stone's Platoon, portrays its soldiers realistically and without the anti-military post-Vietnam War bitterness that permeates those two films. (To be fair, both Coppola and Stone's movies are well made, and in the case of Apocalypse Now, that film is not really about Vietnam per se but rather a Vietnamized adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness.) Some viewers might even accuse Wallace (who wrote and directed) of having a right-wing revisionist slant, but in the featurette on the making of the movie, he points out that he was inspired to do We Were Soldiers when he read Hal Moore's comment that Hollywood has never gotten it right when it comes to making movies about the Vietnam War.
We Were Soldiers not only has respect and admiration for the U.S. soldiers, but it also depicts the bravery and sacrifice of the Vietnamese People's Army. True, most of the focus is on the American troops and, unusually for a Vietnam combat movie, their families. But I personally have not seen the North Vietnamese portrayed with this much respect in a movie - even though I know Oliver Stone's Heaven and Earth is a movie that deals with the Vietnamese.
Mel Gibson portrays Lt. Col. Moore with his usual earnestness, wit and warmth. He allows us to see the human side to this very intellectual and dedicated soldier. He is not only a very pensive officer who reads French history books about Vietnam and has various college degrees, but also a loving husband and father. His scenes with Madeline Stowe, who plays his wife Julie, exude affection and true chemistry. Also, the scene when Moore explains the concept of war to his youngest daughter is touching and tender. Rounding out the cast are Sam Elliott, Barry Pepper, Keri Russell, Greg Kinnear, Chris Klein, and American Pie's Jason Biggs.
The depiction of the battle at Landing Zone X-ray ranks among the best, if sometimes grueling, war scenes. The movie captures the horrible yet mesmerizing spectacle of battle, taking audiences from the roller-coaster exhilaration of nap of the earth helicopter rides to a three-day life-or-death struggle between two determined bands of fighting men.
Paramount's Widescreen Collection DVD is, as can be expected, a basic offering in comparison to other studios' releases. Admittedly, the root menu is flashier than previous DVDs from Paramount, and it does have director's commentary, two different Dolby sound settings, and the aforementioned making-of featurette.
A tribute to 58,000 Americans Who Gave All.However, if you believe in Duty, Honor, Country and how, even during such an unpopular war as Vietnam, the American Citizen Soldier defines heroics, selfless sacrifice and love of country, just as history taught us of those who fought during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WW I, WW II and Korea, then don't miss this film. In "We Were Soldiers", you will witness a battle between four (4) regular North Vietnam Divisions and one Division of US Army 7th Air-Cav troops. Outnumbered 10 to 1 during this battle, the US Army's 7th Air-Cavalry Division was dropped into the middle of a fixed enemy position and the mayhem that followed. In a true depiction of the "Fog of War", with a realism of events and the truest form of espirit de corp., this movie will transport you to the edge of your seat and senses. What adds to the power of this film is that it is a true story, the events depicted actually took place, and it is told by retired Lt. General Moore, who led these men into battle as a Lt. Col., at the time. This is a wonderful tribute to not only the men of the US Army 7th Air-Cavalry, but to all 58,000 Americans "Who Gave All", in this most unpopular War.
Thanks for including the families!
We Were Soldiers is a moving, human filmBased on Lt. Gen. Harold B. Moore and Joseph Galloway's non-fiction book We Were Soldiers Once....and Young, Wallace's film version is a realistic and respectful account of the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces in November of 1965.
Starring Mel Gibson as Lt. Col. Hal Moore, We Were Soldiers begins with the Vietnamese destruction of France's Mobile Group 100 in 1954, the same year that Diem Bien Phu fell and French involvement in Vietnam ended, paving the way for America's long and doomed intervention. This opening scene is graphically violent yet serves to drive home its point - to show the determination of the Vietnamese to drive off any outside force, even if it means being ruthless.
We Were Soldiers, unlike Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now or Oliver Stone's Platoon, portrays its soldiers realistically and without the anti-military post-Vietnam War bitterness that permeates those two films. (To be fair, both Coppola and Stone's movies are well made, and in the case of Apocalypse Now, that film is not really about Vietnam per se but rather a Vietnamized adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness.) Some viewers might even accuse Wallace (who wrote and directed) of having a right-wing revisionist slant, but in the featurette on the making of the movie, he points out that he was inspired to do We Were Soldiers when he read Hal Moore's comment that Hollywood has never gotten it right when it comes to making movies about the Vietnam War.
We Were Soldiers not only has respect and admiration for the U.S. soldiers, but it also depicts the bravery and sacrifice of the Vietnamese People's Army. True, most of the focus is on the American troops and, unusually for a Vietnam combat movie, their families. But I personally have not seen the North Vietnamese portrayed with this much respect in a movie - even though I know Oliver Stone's Heaven and Earth is a movie that deals with the Vietnamese.
Mel Gibson portrays Lt. Col. Moore with his usual earnestness, wit and warmth. He allows us to see the human side to this very intellectual and dedicated soldier. He is not only a very pensive officer who reads French history books about Vietnam and has various college degrees, but also a loving husband and father. His scenes with Madeline Stowe, who plays his wife Julie, exude affection and true chemistry. Also, the scene when Moore explains the concept of war to his youngest daughter is touching and tender. Rounding out the cast are Sam Elliott, Barry Pepper, Keri Russell, Greg Kinnear, Chris Klein, and American Pie's Jason Biggs.
The depiction of the battle at Landing Zone X-ray ranks among the best, if sometimes grueling, war scenes. The movie captures the horrible yet mesmerizing spectacle of battle, taking audiences from the roller-coaster exhilaration of nap of the earth helicopter rides to a three-day life-or-death struggle between two determined bands of fighting men.
Paramount's Widescreen Collection DVD is, as can be expected, a basic offering in comparison to other studios' releases. Admittedly, the root menu is flashier than previous DVDs from Paramount, and it does have director's commentary, two different Dolby sound settings, and the aforementioned making-of featurette.
A tribute to 58,000 Americans Who Gave All.However, if you believe in Duty, Honor, Country and how, even during such an unpopular war as Vietnam, the American Citizen Soldier defines heroics, selfless sacrifice and love of country, just as history taught us of those who fought during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WW I, WW II and Korea, then don't miss this film. In "We Were Soldiers", you will witness a battle between four (4) regular North Vietnam Divisions and one Division of US Army 7th Air-Cav troops. Outnumbered 10 to 1 during this battle, the US Army's 7th Air-Cavalry Division was dropped into the middle of a fixed enemy position and the mayhem that followed. In a true depiction of the "Fog of War", with a realism of events and the truest form of espirit de corp., this movie will transport you to the edge of your seat and senses. What adds to the power of this film is that it is a true story, the events depicted actually took place, and it is told by retired Lt. General Moore, who led these men into battle as a Lt. Col., at the time. This is a wonderful tribute to not only the men of the US Army 7th Air-Cavalry, but to all 58,000 Americans "Who Gave All", in this most unpopular War.
Thanks for including the families!
I guess someone like Sandra Bullock or maybe Jennifer Anniston could have pulled off Ashley's role as Jane Goodall (no relation to the gorilla woman) - after all, chick-flick-chicks are pretty interchangable. But there's something about Ashley Judd that makes you sit up and think, gosh, this girl (woman, I guess) is just a little different. I'm gonna pay just a little more attention to this one.
Maybe it's the way her character interacts with the other actors. She's working with "professional supporting actors" Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tomei, not to mention the future Wolverine Hugh Jackman. None of their characters, as Jane's love interest, best friend, and roommate, respectively, have any reason to exist except to provide Ashley with opportunities to be adorable.
The screenplay is genuinely witty. There's one scene in which Ashley finds her diaphragm, which she has apparently been keeping in storage, and blows dust off it. That single action tells you more about her character's life than twenty pages of dialog. Another hilarious bit has Greg Kinnear's character reciting an imaginary "deconstruction" of male manipulation techniques in terms of Jane/Ashley's "New Cow Theory."
Ashley makes acting in a piece like this look easy, unlike Marisa Tomei, whose over-the-topness makes you a little conscious of the fact that she's "on" (don't get me wrong -- Marisa's cute, too, but she's no Ashley!).
There's a scene in which Ashley has to run. We all know that Ashley can run like frickin' Prefontaine. Yet she's playing a "girlie" girl, so she hams it up just enough, with the skidding and arm-waving, so that she looks like a puppy who can barely make it to its dish without banging into the refrigerator.
Okay, so I'm biased. But I liked this movie a lot.