Oliver-Platt Movie Reviews

Flatliners is a thriller. Medical students play with death and religious beliefs by stopping their hearts (flat-lining) and later having a friend bring them back from death. Terrific film! STEPMOM is Susan Saradon playing an ingredibly nasty role as an ex-wife who is forced to deal with her hubby's new one - - in that the new one is involved with Susan Saradon's kids. This tale is accurate for those who have every been involved with nanny or second-round marriage families. Wonderful story, terrific performances. Another item for my family's Christmas list.

MARRIED TO THER MOB is not only Jonathan Demme's best film but perhaps the single funniest comedy to emerge from Hollywood in the Eighties. Its depiction of the New York area mob enormously influenced David Chase's THE SOPRANOS on HBO, and hasn't received the recognition for this it deserves. The genius of the film is that all the film's characters (with the exceptions of Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine and Sister Carol) are all mosters of taste as well as morality, and yet none of them seem to realize this: they think everyone else likes the same furniture, and beahves in the same way, as they do. This has the effect of making their awful choices in home decor seem sublime ("I see a great house!" Alec Baldwin complains, when he looks around at the illgotten and hideous goods his mob work has won him), and their moral choices hilarious. Dean Stockwell, as the randy head of the mob family after Pfeiffer's heroine, and Mercedes Ruehl, as his dumb but jealously devoted wife, almost steal the show (there's a great moment--just two seconds, really--when Ruehl decides to surprise her husband while standing at Kennedy Airport under an advertsiing sign that says, "Miami is for Lovers": her goofy look of inspiration is priceless). But the film in the end belongs to Michelle Pfeiffer, as the hapless heroine, the widowed wife of a mob enforcer. This was the film that really made Pfeiffer a star. Years before she began to perfect the irritating mannerisms that marred her work in the Nineties, she manages to make her character's sufferings and her innate goodness seem immensely touching and also, almost bewilderingly, deeply funny. She has a great date at a salsa club with Matthew Modine's character that remains one of the greatest first dates in film history: watch especially for their little dance outside the Criminal Justice Building in the outtakes during the closing credits.

"Married to the Mob" is a very funny movie about an Italian Mob Wife who wants out. It is one of my ultimate favorite movies of all time because it is so funny, so well acted, and pure fun to watch. Michelle Pfieffer stars as Angela Demarco, the wife of Frankie "Cucumber" Demarco(played by Alec Baldwin) and mother to 7 year old Joey.
Frustrated by the lifestyle, she just wants to start over fresh and have a second chance for a good life. She asks for a divorce, which is ignored. Then Frankie and his mistress get iced by the big boss, Tony "The Tiger" Russo, played by Dean Stockwell, who roars as this cool mob boss. Angela is beside herself, and ready to move out and on with her life. She moves out of the neighborhood and into a tenament in a seedy looking neighborhood. She plans to get a job and raise her son on her own.
She is then being unknowingly surveillanced by the FBI, and Agent Mike Dowling(Matthew Modine) becomes interested in her.
Young Pfeiffer and Modine seem to have a little chemistry going in the movie. They are very cute together.
Once Frank is dead, Tony tries to seduce Angela. His wife, Connie, played by a hilarious Mercedes Ruehl who is just wonderful in this role, tries to stop it. Tony tries and fails several times.
Mike falls hard for Angela, but eventually she finds out that the FBI is behind it all. They want to use her to get Tony.
Chaos ensues with comedy following. All the actors in this movie work so well together, too. I liked every performance in the movie. Pfeiffer being the best. She plays the character with zest and the accent is perfect!
It is a movie I intend to purchase soon as I just don't tire of it's upbeat, funny, and romantic story.
Highly recommended!!!

This is a great film. FUN FUN FUN and Funny too. Pfieffer does such a great job in this role, as does Alec Baldwin and Mathew Modine. A terrifically fun film.

Diggstown is one of the most satisfying movies of all time. Lou Gossett Jr. and James Woods are at their all time bests. Bruce Dern plays an excellent bad guy, and you truly wind up hating him by the end of the movie.

This movie is witty, and the boxing scenes are done incredibly well, loaded with action. Diggstown is ultimately about one person's struggle to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds with a never-give-up attitude. This is captured quite nicely, as you can't help but cheer for Honey Roy Palmer (Gossett Jr.) to beat ten different boxers in a 24-hour period.

The film portrays the con game at its best, and keeps you guessing at who will be the supreme con-artist. It has several twists and turns that keeps you on your toes (no pun intended-okay, maybe a slight boxing pun) to the very unpredictable ending. Diggstown is truly a pleasure to watch.

Known as Midnight Sting in The UK, it's taken me ages to track this down on DVD.
Without giving the plot away, the whole film is a non-stop battle of wits between Woods and Dern who are ideally casted for the roles they are playing and allows them to flourih to the best of there ability.
Woods is the epitome of cool whilst showing a human side.
The Boxing scenes are superbly played out, finding the right balance between realism and humour.
Without spoiling the film the ending is one of the best i've ever seen in a film and captures the whole plot in a single moment which will have you cheering to yourself when the final fight is played out.
Without doubt i would recommend this film as a must have, it will keep you captivated even after repeated viewing which is rare for films these days.
A true Classic.

... This movie is a gigantic duel of both action and comedy! You'll be rolling on the floor laughing when you're not in awe of all the great acting!

The funniest fight was when 'Honey' Roy Palmer was fighting Sammy who got this brown bottle treatment! He kept farting and stinking the place up that he left the ring!

Diggstown is one of the most satisfying movies of all time. Lou Gossett Jr. and James Woods are at their all time bests. Bruce Dern plays an excellent bad guy, and you truly wind up hating him by the end of the movie.

This movie is witty, and the boxing scenes are done incredibly well, loaded with action. Diggstown is ultimately about one person's struggle to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds with a never-give-up attitude. This is captured quite nicely, as you can't help but cheer for Honey Roy Palmer (Gossett Jr.) to beat ten different boxers in a 24-hour period.

The film portrays the con game at its best, and keeps you guessing at who will be the supreme con-artist. It has several twists and turns that keeps you on your toes (no pun intended-okay, maybe a slight boxing pun) to the very unpredictable ending. Diggstown is truly a pleasure to watch.

Known as Midnight Sting in The UK, it's taken me ages to track this down on DVD.
Without giving the plot away, the whole film is a non-stop battle of wits between Woods and Dern who are ideally casted for the roles they are playing and allows them to flourih to the best of there ability.
Woods is the epitome of cool whilst showing a human side.
The Boxing scenes are superbly played out, finding the right balance between realism and humour.
Without spoiling the film the ending is one of the best i've ever seen in a film and captures the whole plot in a single moment which will have you cheering to yourself when the final fight is played out.
Without doubt i would recommend this film as a must have, it will keep you captivated even after repeated viewing which is rare for films these days.
A true Classic.

... This movie is a gigantic duel of both action and comedy! You'll be rolling on the floor laughing when you're not in awe of all the great acting!

The funniest fight was when 'Honey' Roy Palmer was fighting Sammy who got this brown bottle treatment! He kept farting and stinking the place up that he left the ring!

Diggstown is one of the most satisfying movies of all time. Lou Gossett Jr. and James Woods are at their all time bests. Bruce Dern plays an excellent bad guy, and you truly wind up hating him by the end of the movie.

This movie is witty, and the boxing scenes are done incredibly well, loaded with action. Diggstown is ultimately about one person's struggle to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds with a never-give-up attitude. This is captured quite nicely, as you can't help but cheer for Honey Roy Palmer (Gossett Jr.) to beat ten different boxers in a 24-hour period.

The film portrays the con game at its best, and keeps you guessing at who will be the supreme con-artist. It has several twists and turns that keeps you on your toes (no pun intended-okay, maybe a slight boxing pun) to the very unpredictable ending. Diggstown is truly a pleasure to watch.

Known as Midnight Sting in The UK, it's taken me ages to track this down on DVD.
Without giving the plot away, the whole film is a non-stop battle of wits between Woods and Dern who are ideally casted for the roles they are playing and allows them to flourih to the best of there ability.
Woods is the epitome of cool whilst showing a human side.
The Boxing scenes are superbly played out, finding the right balance between realism and humour.
Without spoiling the film the ending is one of the best i've ever seen in a film and captures the whole plot in a single moment which will have you cheering to yourself when the final fight is played out.
Without doubt i would recommend this film as a must have, it will keep you captivated even after repeated viewing which is rare for films these days.
A true Classic.

... This movie is a gigantic duel of both action and comedy! You'll be rolling on the floor laughing when you're not in awe of all the great acting!

The funniest fight was when 'Honey' Roy Palmer was fighting Sammy who got this brown bottle treatment! He kept farting and stinking the place up that he left the ring!

What could have been a beautiful movie was absolutely ruined by crudeness and crassness, as the Amazon reviewer has noted. The writers and producers tried to establish a feeling of compassion for the title character, Simon, who has a disability, and his mother. But they destroyed it by including elements that definitely were not essential to the story. For example, one scene depicts a Nativity scene, and Simon is playing the Christ child because of his small stature. All of a sudden, he grabs the protruding part of Mary's chest! Hello!! Do we need this kind of garbage? This is not a family film, and I hope someday someone will redo this film the way it should have been done in the first place: focusing on the beautiful story of a person with a disability, and not adding offensive and unnecessary junk!

"Simon Birch" is an outstanding story of 2 young boys growing up under difficult circumstances which have them labeled as outsiders. Simon, a dwarf whose parents wouldn't seem to mind if he simply disappeared, holds onto his belief that God has a special purpose in store for him (to be a hero)and unashamedly lets everyone know about it. Joe, his best friend, wants only to find his real father, whose identity his mother refuses to reveal.

Apparently, this is not a faithful adaption to the book, but I found it to be very enjoyable. There are many laugh out loud moments (Simon in church; the Christmas play) and some real tear-jerkers (Simon on the bridge screaming "I'm sorry" in his shrill little voice). The movie is well cast with both young actors doing a terrific job, as does Oliver Platt as the admirable father figure to the boys. Ashley Judd is simply stunning as the strong, independent single-mom with a heart of gold.

The movie says some interesting things about faith, belief and serendipity, but its not likely to convince you if such things do not interest you in the first place. For example, Simon is shown as having more faith than even the local minister, yet he frequently curses and is quite enamored of a young classmates's breasts. I imagine this could come across as either true to life (we can have the faith of a child but still be imperfect) or very off-putting and hypocritical. I thought the film examined some interesting points about God and belief while being very entertaining and uplifting.

Highly recommended! Also check out "My Dog Skip" for another nostalgic look at childhood and "The Jerk" for another take on having a "special purpose".

The movie opens with Jim Carrey at the grave of his old friend Simon Birch. I was a bit suprised to see Carrey in here, because I hate him. But in this film he did a great job narrating, he gave a great feel to the movie. You usually don't get to the point of a movie till the end, but Carrey just comes right out and tells us all what he found in Mr. Birch. He found faith, he found God.

Carrey tells us the story of his childhood and his dwarf friend Simon Birch, played wonderfully by whoever played him. They are typical twelve year olds, just beginning to appreciate women. I can't really tell you much about this movie except if you liked movies like "The Christmas Story" and "Stand By Me" you'll love this one. It has that nostolgic feel to it. It also is very funny and very sad. Also stars Ashley Judd (who shines), Oliver Platt (who for once gets to play a real good guy), David Straitharn, and Jan Hooks (she should do more movies). All in all, it's a great movie that keeps you watching. See it.

This 1998 film is set in seventeenth century Venice. Very loosely based on history, it stars Catherine McCormack as Veronica Franco, a beautiful woman who chose to be a courtesan because the nobleman she loves, played by Rufus Sewell, is forced into an arranged marriage. What follows is a predictable story about how she becomes the lover of most of the well-born men of Venice and even has time to write some poetry on the side. Not a bad idea for a story. Unfortunately though, Ms. McCormack can't act although she does look pretty in some gorgeous costumes. She keeps the same expression on her face throughout and I found it impossible to emotionally identify with her. Jacqueline Bisset, cast as her mother who trains her for this profession, does a much better job but her role is much too small to save this film, which I found only mildly interesting. There's also too much modern feminist rhetoric throughout. I give this film only the shadow of a lukewarm recommendation. There is much better stuff around.

This highly evocative and entertaining film was sadly ignored when it was released in 1998, but it is most definitely worth a second look. The film explores the world of courtesans, women in Renaissance-era Venice who lived to pleasure men but were also allowed access to education at a time when most women couldn't even read.

Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack of "Braveheart" fame) has no dowry to marry her true love Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) and thus learns the art of giving pleasure from her mother (Jacqueline Bisset). She quickly becomes the most sought-after courtesan in Venice, earns renown as a poet in her own right, and finds herself afforded a small deal more power than most women in Venice.

The cast is first-rate. McCormack imbues Veronica with a great deal of intelligence and passion, as well as a searing wit. She may come across as far too post-modern in a few scenes, though those are likely meant to portray her as ahead of her time. Rufus Sewell may not have the looks of the typical romantic lead, but he is probably the most convincing one in recent years. The male characters may be intriguing, but far more fascinating are the women, who display the limited options available to Renaissance women. As Beatrice, Marco's sister, Moira Kelly marries a man older than her father, and condemns herself life of motherhood and lack of fulfillment. The regret registers on her face more and more with each scene in a very affecting performance. Naomi Watts makes a brief appearance as Marco's pious wife, who cannot be anything more than what she was taught.

Things begin to fall apart, literally and artistically, when the Plague and the Inquisition roll into town, and the grandstanding finale may strike some as over the top, but on the whole, "Dangerous Beauty" is a provocative, interesting, lovely film.

An overall masterpiece. This is a movie about the 16th centuy life style of women in venice. In short women didn't have much say or freedom unless they were a "courtesan". Catherine McCormick who also played the spouse of Mel Gibson in the movie "Brave Heart" is the leading role. She does an amazing job of portraying the hardships, benefits, and pleasures of becoming a courtesan.

This is a powerful movie that I would recommend to everyone but specially to men because there is much to be learned from it. It's an eye opener and will make you think twice before calling some one a whore and what that word really means.

After I finished watching the dvd in english I watched it in French. My God what a difference. Besides the fact that I couldn't understand a word they were saying, the movie sounds much more passionate and evoked more emotions then the English version( and yes I did have the english subtitle on). The ladies are bound to become very emotional watching the french version and the guys oh well I'll skip that part.

This is one movie that you won't watch just once and is sure to entertain you and your friends for years to come, unless you go out to venice and see the real modern courtesans for your self :)

This 1998 film is set in seventeenth century Venice. Very loosely based on history, it stars Catherine McCormack as Veronica Franco, a beautiful woman who chose to be a courtesan because the nobleman she loves, played by Rufus Sewell, is forced into an arranged marriage. What follows is a predictable story about how she becomes the lover of most of the well-born men of Venice and even has time to write some poetry on the side. Not a bad idea for a story. Unfortunately though, Ms. McCormack can't act although she does look pretty in some gorgeous costumes. She keeps the same expression on her face throughout and I found it impossible to emotionally identify with her. Jacqueline Bisset, cast as her mother who trains her for this profession, does a much better job but her role is much too small to save this film, which I found only mildly interesting. There's also too much modern feminist rhetoric throughout. I give this film only the shadow of a lukewarm recommendation. There is much better stuff around.

This highly evocative and entertaining film was sadly ignored when it was released in 1998, but it is most definitely worth a second look. The film explores the world of courtesans, women in Renaissance-era Venice who lived to pleasure men but were also allowed access to education at a time when most women couldn't even read.

Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack of "Braveheart" fame) has no dowry to marry her true love Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) and thus learns the art of giving pleasure from her mother (Jacqueline Bisset). She quickly becomes the most sought-after courtesan in Venice, earns renown as a poet in her own right, and finds herself afforded a small deal more power than most women in Venice.

The cast is first-rate. McCormack imbues Veronica with a great deal of intelligence and passion, as well as a searing wit. She may come across as far too post-modern in a few scenes, though those are likely meant to portray her as ahead of her time. Rufus Sewell may not have the looks of the typical romantic lead, but he is probably the most convincing one in recent years. The male characters may be intriguing, but far more fascinating are the women, who display the limited options available to Renaissance women. As Beatrice, Marco's sister, Moira Kelly marries a man older than her father, and condemns herself life of motherhood and lack of fulfillment. The regret registers on her face more and more with each scene in a very affecting performance. Naomi Watts makes a brief appearance as Marco's pious wife, who cannot be anything more than what she was taught.

Things begin to fall apart, literally and artistically, when the Plague and the Inquisition roll into town, and the grandstanding finale may strike some as over the top, but on the whole, "Dangerous Beauty" is a provocative, interesting, lovely film.

An overall masterpiece. This is a movie about the 16th centuy life style of women in venice. In short women didn't have much say or freedom unless they were a "courtesan". Catherine McCormick who also played the spouse of Mel Gibson in the movie "Brave Heart" is the leading role. She does an amazing job of portraying the hardships, benefits, and pleasures of becoming a courtesan.

This is a powerful movie that I would recommend to everyone but specially to men because there is much to be learned from it. It's an eye opener and will make you think twice before calling some one a whore and what that word really means.

After I finished watching the dvd in english I watched it in French. My God what a difference. Besides the fact that I couldn't understand a word they were saying, the movie sounds much more passionate and evoked more emotions then the English version( and yes I did have the english subtitle on). The ladies are bound to become very emotional watching the french version and the guys oh well I'll skip that part.

This is one movie that you won't watch just once and is sure to entertain you and your friends for years to come, unless you go out to venice and see the real modern courtesans for your self :)

I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. For this genre, it is an easy 5 star rating, but it is not my favorite genre, so I would give a 4 star rating for the general public. Since the former is more significant, it deserves 5 stars.

Johnny Depp plays Sam and does another excellent job. This is more in line with "Chocolate" than "Edward Scissorhands" (I liked the former but detest the latter). He is quiet, but entertaining. He is not shown as obsessed with Buster Keaton, but he does bang-up jobs of mimicking him. The scenes in the park are great.

Aidan Quinn is very good as Benny. He holds the role of protective older brother to Joon. Some of his later actions are predictable, but Quinn never falls out of line with his characters.

Mary Stuart Masterson does a good job as Joon (Juniper "Joon" Pearl). Only a couple times does she slip out of character. When she is in-character, she is excellent.

The plot is simple. Some people claim that it is unrealistic. For the majority of people, yes it is. However, truth is stranger than fiction and this is a feel-good movie that reminds us of positive things and looking forward to another day.

The lenghth of the movie is good. Only for a couple minutes during the start did I question if it would go too long (the opening train sequence is visually entertaining, but could have been cut short).

The sound is a big factor for me. This movie comes through with a big thumbs-up. The music is clean and upbeat, like a blend of Gershwin and Supertramp. The editing is excellent (except for one case with the car stopping, but the rest is so much better than normal that it probably shouldn't be mentioned). The sound really put this movie in the 5-star league.

Forget Don Juan DeMarco, forget Sleepy Hollow, forget any other Johnny Depp film (except Cry Baby *drool*). This is THE Johnny Depp film. You have to see it. It's Johnny Depp at his best. I've had this film recorded from the TV for ages, and typical, my tape ran out, and I missed only the last 15 minutes (and what a disappointment they were!)

Johnny Depp plays the loveable Sam, who's cheese seems to have come off his cracker. His whole character, moves, voice, and his funny comedic moments are a total take-off of Charlie Chaplin & all those actors from the "good old days". He is taken in by Benny & Joon. The lovely Aidan Quinn plays Benny, looking after his sister, Joon, played by Mary Stuart Masterson (who I still say was in Little House On The Prarie, but no one believes me!). Joon is "mentally ill" or "sick" - the film never actually says what's wrong with her. I think she's either autistic or schizophrenic - sorry if that's wrong, or she's not one or the other, but I always get them muddled up! She lives to a routine (that makes me think autistic), but she switches personalities (schizophrenic?). I love watching this little routine, watching her make breakfast, or the way she goes to sleep at night, or the way she paints - she gets more of it on her than she does on the canvas! Enter Benny. Who she instantly falls in love with. The music behind the love scene is brilliant, and well played by Johnny & Mary.

There's a few classic moments in this film - mainly thanks to Johnny Depp. Just wait til you see him do his whole performance in the park, or his little dance with the bread in the restaurant. Or making a toasted cheese sandwich by ironing it, and making mashed potatoes by hitting them with a tennis racket. If that doesn't make you want to see this film, nothing will. And the classic line? "Raisins are just humiliated grapes". I love this film. It doesn't show much about the mentally ill, and at the end, there's too many things left in the open. Like what happens to Benny & the woman he fancies, Ruthie (played by Julianne Moore)? We see Joon getting her own apartment, but how is it decorated? Are there paintings everywhere? And does Sam move in with her? All will be discovered in the sequel ... I wish.

Bring on the soundtrack!

A mechanic, Benny(Aiden Quinn) who has a mentally disabled sister, Joon(Mary Stuart Masterson) is a bit fed with her, she's always causing trouble and making the house-sitters quit, he's been taking care of her needs so long, he's forgotten his own needs and loss touch with the world a little. Finally when Sam(Johnny Depp) is won at a poker game he has to keep him over for his friend at his house for the night. Sam is an eccentric guy who is a crazy clownish man who cannot read, and tames Joon's wild heart.
Its a very sad movie, but has an ultimately happy ending.
What makes this film really work though, is the acting. The plot isn't entirely special, but the acting all around from Aiden Quinn to Mary Stuart Masterson to Julianne Moore, the acting is great!!! But the one who truly makes this film a worth-while experience is Depp, he lightens up every scene he is in. If you are just discovering Depp's extrordinary acting talents(if so, shame on you!), then this is a great place to start. He is absolutely hilarious and does some extrordinary physical comedy inspired by some of the greatest comedians of all times, Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keaton.

So sit back, relax, and *enjoy* Benny&Joon!

God Bless ~Amy