Keith-Carradine Movie Reviews

Standoff can be read both as a parody of virtue and as a philosophical look at multi-sided conflicts. Despite the fact that only one main location was used throughout the film, one hardly gets bored watching it thanks to the concrete and cunning narrative. It may not be a masterpiece of cinematography, but the kind of characterisation it depends on is one hard to find in today's cinema. Standoff is "Reservoir Dogs" meets "Seven" meets "The Untouchables"; and what makes it different is that it underlines the inevitable dissapointments awaiting innocence and idealism while awaking a long-forgotten kind of heroism in the personality of a real-life Luke Skywalker.

Obviously a work of love and hard work, this movie puts the viewer in the belly of the beast. Like any work of true art, each individual will appreciate it on a different level. It is a truly unpredictable whodunnit, an action movie and to me as a mental health professional, an allegory about the heartbreak and upheaval of what happens when a "family" turns on itself...be it a cult, law enforcement, or buddy unit.
Hats off to Andrew Chapman for writing deeply in a genre that rewards slick superficiality.

This movie is kind of like 10 LITTLE INDIANS. Someone told me that this movie is, "Taut, but not derivative." I must agree. Watch for a suprisingly wonderful performance from Natasha Henstridge. While this movie does have guns and girls - it is really a wonderful look at what it means to be a heroe. I hope that the director - Andrew Chapman does more movies. I'll be first in line!

If you were raised in Texas, you will really be able to appreciate this film. And if you come from a large family, these characters will look awfully familiar. This is one of my favorite films.

This is an extremely funny movie. The 3 southern sisters are very realistic southern characters. Beau Bridges and Beverly D'Angelo are particularly brilliant.

Nashville is one of Altman's best works.I like it very much.

It's soundtrack contains some of the greatest country songs ever

made.All of the cast did a great work especially Keith Carradine

and Henry Gibson.

I forgot to preorder Nashville when I heard that it was being released on DVD, so today, the day it was released, I made a trip to the local video store to buy a copy. When I got there I was dismayed to discover that the store didn't order any copies of Nashville, but they received countless copies of The Cider House Rules and other, um, less worthy new releases. The clerk had never heard of Nashville, and was only vaguely familiar with Robert Altman. I included this anecdote in my review to show how Robert Altman and most of his great movies have been forgotten by the general public, which says quite a bit about the decline in the quality of mass entertainment. Finally, I found a copy in another store and got to watch the film in all its widescreen glory and it was as good, if not better, than I remembered it being. The characters are so real, and their interactions so genuine, that it just looks effortless, and it makes you wonder why more movies don't get it right. I especially like the way the movie is open to many different interpretations. I haven't had a chance to listen to Altman's commentary yet, but I'm sure it will be interesting. If you haven't seen this movie, seek it out and watch it at least twice, or better yet, many more times than that, and then you will be enlightened.

I saw this movie for the first time at the age of thirteen, and just cried. At the time I couldn't figure out exactly why I had such a tremendous emotional response to the film, but have now come to realize that the shear beauty of "Nashville" is simply overpowering.

You see, "Nashville" is a movie about America, and its people. The themes studied are as broad and varied as its story's twenty-four main characters. However, as the result of Robert Altman's brilliant direction, the picture never becomes didactic or unfocused in any ways. Instead, it is the most realistic depiction of our nation captured on film.

I cannot put into words the tidal wave of emotion the viewer experiences in the movie's final scene when all the story's characters are united for a single moment in song. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. No, I never lived through Watergate, Vietnam, or Kennedy's assasination, but I don't think that could matter any less. I believe "Nashville" is as relevant to America today as it was twenty-five years ago.

If you have never seen this, order it NOW! Believe me, it is worth owning.

Nashville is one of Altman's best works.I like it very much.

It's soundtrack contains some of the greatest country songs ever

made.All of the cast did a great work especially Keith Carradine

and Henry Gibson.

I forgot to preorder Nashville when I heard that it was being released on DVD, so today, the day it was released, I made a trip to the local video store to buy a copy. When I got there I was dismayed to discover that the store didn't order any copies of Nashville, but they received countless copies of The Cider House Rules and other, um, less worthy new releases. The clerk had never heard of Nashville, and was only vaguely familiar with Robert Altman. I included this anecdote in my review to show how Robert Altman and most of his great movies have been forgotten by the general public, which says quite a bit about the decline in the quality of mass entertainment. Finally, I found a copy in another store and got to watch the film in all its widescreen glory and it was as good, if not better, than I remembered it being. The characters are so real, and their interactions so genuine, that it just looks effortless, and it makes you wonder why more movies don't get it right. I especially like the way the movie is open to many different interpretations. I haven't had a chance to listen to Altman's commentary yet, but I'm sure it will be interesting. If you haven't seen this movie, seek it out and watch it at least twice, or better yet, many more times than that, and then you will be enlightened.

I saw this movie for the first time at the age of thirteen, and just cried. At the time I couldn't figure out exactly why I had such a tremendous emotional response to the film, but have now come to realize that the shear beauty of "Nashville" is simply overpowering.

You see, "Nashville" is a movie about America, and its people. The themes studied are as broad and varied as its story's twenty-four main characters. However, as the result of Robert Altman's brilliant direction, the picture never becomes didactic or unfocused in any ways. Instead, it is the most realistic depiction of our nation captured on film.

I cannot put into words the tidal wave of emotion the viewer experiences in the movie's final scene when all the story's characters are united for a single moment in song. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. No, I never lived through Watergate, Vietnam, or Kennedy's assasination, but I don't think that could matter any less. I believe "Nashville" is as relevant to America today as it was twenty-five years ago.

If you have never seen this, order it NOW! Believe me, it is worth owning.

The cinematography, acting, & artwork were second to none.Keith Carradine, Susan Sarandon, & Brooke Shields did an excellentjob portraying the other side of society that most of us do not deal with or even want to deal with. The forced sexualization of a 12 year old girl is, perhaps, a strong subject to tackle in a film. Not only is this girl sexually active, but, she is also a prostitute. Life is full of hardships for most people; however, it can be harder on a select few than most. That is what happens to Violet (Brooke), she is forced to interact on an adult level in an adult world never quite having a childhood. This movie left me feeling sad & overwhelmed. I wanted to change Violet's life for her, make it happy...somewhat normal. If you are looking for a movie that has a happy ending, look elsewhere. If you want an accurate portrayel on the hardships of growing up a young, beautiful girl in a prostitutes world, this is the movie for you. The message is hard & is not for those that are easily offended. I can see where this would be more popular in Europe than here given the subject matter. To sum it up: Brooke is (as usual) beautiful & stunning. The nudity did not bother me as much as the subject matter did, but, only to the extent that you wish her character would have the chance to enjoy the innocence that is so beautiful in children. I do recommend this to those that can see past the images displayed on the screen & can engrosse themselves in the story. NOTE: This movie is not for everyone, hence my 4 star rating.

Storyville, New Orleans. 1917. Brooke Shields(Violet) is the daughter of prostitute Susan Sarandon(Haddy). The camera follows Violet around and shows the goings on within the New Orleans style brothel mansion through her eyes. She is a surprisingly strong central character and the brothel provides a fairly stable family environment which sometimes seems more like a boarding school than a bawdy house. The old Madam looks out for her girls and the girls look out for each other. Shields is friends with both the colored Jazz pianist, the voodoo fortune teller, the worldly photographer as well the other little kids. Her childhood seems charmed, rich.
Louis Malle in his earlier classic Murmur of the Heart examined bourgeois norms and found them to be far from moral, and in this movie he is examing what most deem an amoral atmosphere and finding much there that is admirable. He is celebrating moral freedom within the rich and racially diverse culture of New Orleans and he is examining moral hypocrisy as all the patrons are the wealthy and "respectable". Malle sets up an equation that perhaps parodies the age old artist/patron relationship. The most obvious arts being patronised are the sensual arts but also the mansion is a social club with its own jazz pianist, paintings on the wall, and there is a general joie de vivre that is lacking in the normal world. The brothel is seen as a kind of timeless sanctuary of the better things in life. Birth and death are kept out of the main parlor to preserve this illusion. At the end as this world that Malle and Nykvist have so carefully put together comes apart the mood is one of regret that it can't keep going on. This is not a message film and Malle is a director who does not insist you see things any particular way. Certainly the young Brooke Shields appearing as she does is meant to shock and no one thinks little girls should grow up to be prostitutes but the other extreme of growing up in the narrow confines of puritanical mainstream America also has its limits. The former world is amoral but it is lively and awakens the imagination and senses, the latter world is moral but overly protective and stultifying.
Malle leaves things unresolved and the photographer played by Kieth Carradine embodies the ambivalence best of all. Carradine is attracted to the prostitutes existence, and he seems at home with them(much in the same way an artist in the same period found himself at home in Paris)but he keeps his distance for awhile, treating them only as art objects. Once he steps over his own bounds though he becomes as morally questionable as the prostitutes themselves. At the end he is still divided as to what is the best life for young Violet. So among everything else in the movie you have this little allegory of the bohemian artist as well. Music throughout is by piano professor Jellyroll Morton who is thanked in a note at the end of the picture. Malle is a director who never made a bad picture, and never made an ordinary one as well. One of my all time favorite directors. Also recommended by Malle: Murmur of the Heart, Atlantic City, My Dinner w/Andre, Crackers, May Fools, Damage, Vanya on 42nd Street.

For years, I had heard all the controversy about this film and since I'm interested in New Orleans history, I decided to pick this up and see what all the fuss was about. I was surprised to find it different than how others had described it to me. Yes, the nudity was over the top but the story itself was tragic and well done. Violet is a child living in an adult world who doesn't realize prostitution is wrong and follows in her own mother's footsteps. When Bellocq comes to the Storyville district to photograph the prostitutes, he becomes enchanted with Violet's beauty and falls in love with her.

I never felt this movie glorified child prostitution. It told the story of the way things were back then. Life now is much different than it was in the early party of the last century and I think this film shows the ugliness of the brothels of that era. Poor Violet having her virginity auctioned and really not knowing any better. When the creepy old guy pays the money, it made me feel sick to my stomach. I guess that was the point of the movie. It made me feel so many things on so many different levels.

All in all, it was a movie that made me think. It was also beautifully shot and very realistic to the time it portrayed. The costumes, the music and the setting were breathtaking. I definitely thought about it after the film was over.

A great film but one that is definitely not for everyone.

I still wonder what was the purpose of John Herzfeld when he filmed TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY. The structure of the movie isn't revolutionary, so the plot should give us an answer to this question.

Well...I still wonder, did I say ! It could be :

- Everybody changes his mind so don't take anything for granted.

- One minute of your time can modify your life (but we know that already, don't we ?).

- Don't get married if you're an ice skater !

And so on. You've understood that the screenplay isn't the main interest of this movie neither.

Happily enough, the cast is great and brings very funny and enjoyable moments, I must admit it.

A DVD zone I should have rent it instead of buying it.

Many people put this in the "Quentin Tarantino Rip-off" pile, but it really owes more of a debt to Robert Altman than it does to Tarantino. Sure, it has Crime Thriller elements, but at its Core it is an Ensemble Drama akin to "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia".

The Star-Studded Cast includes Eric Stoltz (as a discontent vice cop), Jeff Daniels (as Eric's hard-nosed partner), James Spader (as an ice-cold hit man), Danny Aiello (as a washed-up hit man), Charlize Theron (as James' accomplice/girlfriend), Teri Hatcher (as a murder witness) and Glenne Headly (as a Hostage). They, and Everyone else in the film, give Fitting, Seasoned Performances.

Stoltz and Spader give the Best performances, both Funny and Real. Especially Spader, he virtually Carries the Film. Charlize Theron, in one of her first films, is Very, very Attention-Grabbing, through her Looks and her Abilities. Daniels and Hatcher appear too Infrequently to be Memorable. Aiello and Headly give equally Likeable performances that become the Moral Centre of the film.

The film, like all the ones mentioned above, follows a Series of Unconnected stories that somehow Intersect with each other at the climax. To explain How would spoil the fun of Watching it all Unravel Yourself. Writer/Director John Herzfeld smartly resists the temptation to Modernize and Spice up his Direction, allowing the Actors to tell the tale.

This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in.

I still wonder what was the purpose of John Herzfeld when he filmed TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY. The structure of the movie isn't revolutionary, so the plot should give us an answer to this question.

Well...I still wonder, did I say ! It could be :

- Everybody changes his mind so don't take anything for granted.

- One minute of your time can modify your life (but we know that already, don't we ?).

- Don't get married if you're an ice skater !

And so on. You've understood that the screenplay isn't the main interest of this movie neither.

Happily enough, the cast is great and brings very funny and enjoyable moments, I must admit it.

A DVD zone I should have rent it instead of buying it.

Many people put this in the "Quentin Tarantino Rip-off" pile, but it really owes more of a debt to Robert Altman than it does to Tarantino. Sure, it has Crime Thriller elements, but at its Core it is an Ensemble Drama akin to "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia".

The Star-Studded Cast includes Eric Stoltz (as a discontent vice cop), Jeff Daniels (as Eric's hard-nosed partner), James Spader (as an ice-cold hit man), Danny Aiello (as a washed-up hit man), Charlize Theron (as James' accomplice/girlfriend), Teri Hatcher (as a murder witness) and Glenne Headly (as a Hostage). They, and Everyone else in the film, give Fitting, Seasoned Performances.

Stoltz and Spader give the Best performances, both Funny and Real. Especially Spader, he virtually Carries the Film. Charlize Theron, in one of her first films, is Very, very Attention-Grabbing, through her Looks and her Abilities. Daniels and Hatcher appear too Infrequently to be Memorable. Aiello and Headly give equally Likeable performances that become the Moral Centre of the film.

The film, like all the ones mentioned above, follows a Series of Unconnected stories that somehow Intersect with each other at the climax. To explain How would spoil the fun of Watching it all Unravel Yourself. Writer/Director John Herzfeld smartly resists the temptation to Modernize and Spice up his Direction, allowing the Actors to tell the tale.

This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in.

I still wonder what was the purpose of John Herzfeld when he filmed TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY. The structure of the movie isn't revolutionary, so the plot should give us an answer to this question.

Well...I still wonder, did I say ! It could be :

- Everybody changes his mind so don't take anything for granted.

- One minute of your time can modify your life (but we know that already, don't we ?).

- Don't get married if you're an ice skater !

And so on. You've understood that the screenplay isn't the main interest of this movie neither.

Happily enough, the cast is great and brings very funny and enjoyable moments, I must admit it.

A DVD zone I should have rent it instead of buying it.

Many people put this in the "Quentin Tarantino Rip-off" pile, but it really owes more of a debt to Robert Altman than it does to Tarantino. Sure, it has Crime Thriller elements, but at its Core it is an Ensemble Drama akin to "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia".

The Star-Studded Cast includes Eric Stoltz (as a discontent vice cop), Jeff Daniels (as Eric's hard-nosed partner), James Spader (as an ice-cold hit man), Danny Aiello (as a washed-up hit man), Charlize Theron (as James' accomplice/girlfriend), Teri Hatcher (as a murder witness) and Glenne Headly (as a Hostage). They, and Everyone else in the film, give Fitting, Seasoned Performances.

Stoltz and Spader give the Best performances, both Funny and Real. Especially Spader, he virtually Carries the Film. Charlize Theron, in one of her first films, is Very, very Attention-Grabbing, through her Looks and her Abilities. Daniels and Hatcher appear too Infrequently to be Memorable. Aiello and Headly give equally Likeable performances that become the Moral Centre of the film.

The film, like all the ones mentioned above, follows a Series of Unconnected stories that somehow Intersect with each other at the climax. To explain How would spoil the fun of Watching it all Unravel Yourself. Writer/Director John Herzfeld smartly resists the temptation to Modernize and Spice up his Direction, allowing the Actors to tell the tale.

This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in.

If memory serves me correctly, this film was a made-for production on HBO back in 1985. The cast is top-notch, and the story plays on serial killers from the '70's and early '80's. I won't reveal the entire plot, but I will say that this is a somewhat disturbing picture to watch. Especially while alone in the dark. I recommend viewing this movie with at least another person in the room. Just make sure you know that person well, and that your telephone is off the hook...

A note of caution: This VHS is in the lousy EP mode.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. IF YOU LIKE THRILLERS AND RICHARD
WIDMARK, SEE THIS MOVIE.

If memory serves me correctly, this film was a made-for production on HBO back in 1985. The cast is top-notch, and the story plays on serial killers from the '70's and early '80's. I won't reveal the entire plot, but I will say that this is a somewhat disturbing picture to watch. Especially while alone in the dark. I recommend viewing this movie with at least another person in the room. Just make sure you know that person well, and that your telephone is off the hook...

A note of caution: This VHS is in the lousy EP mode.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. IF YOU LIKE THRILLERS AND RICHARD
WIDMARK, SEE THIS MOVIE.