Tobey-Maguire Movie Reviews

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VHS movie reviews for "Tobey-Maguire" sorted by average review score:
Spider-Man II
Released in Theatrical Release by (02 July, 2004)
MPAA Rating:
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina
Average review score:

I Hope It's Great!
Spider-Man is my Faviorte super-hero I was hoping Venom and Kraven The Hunter to be the next villians but I now know it's another cool villian Doc Ock!Doctor Octopus,Lizard,Kraven The Hunter,Rhino,Scorpion and Venom are my favirote villians of all time!I can't wait to sit down and enjoy this movie July,2004!

My spidy sense is tells me were getting another blockbuster.
Spidy is hitting the screen again. I was waiting for the first movie to come out with full anticipation when I was watching Tobey Macguire when he said there was going to be a trilogy. I told everybody in my house filled with excitement. I was also exicted when I heard that Doc Ock was going to be in the new movie. Tobey Macguire will probably do an other excellent job. Kristen Dunst needs to be a little happier and more energetic in order to portray the original Mary Jane from the cartoon series. July 4,2004 is a day I'm awaiting.

The Spider Will Return
This picks up where the first "Spider Man" movie left off when it ended with the defeat of Norman Osborn aka The Green Goblin.

Spider Man returns to a 'normal' life as Peter Parker, a photographer and is at odds with his boss J. Jonah Jameson but the calm is ended by another storm. New York is in danger once again and Spider Man is now up against a new and more formidable enemy villain named Doctor Octavius or Doctor Octopus who was an old friend of Parker's old science teacher Dr. Connors.

Tobey McGuire who gave an excellent performance as Peter Parker returns in his role once again as our beloved hero Spider Man. Alfred Molina plays the villainous Doctor Octopus. Kirsten Dunst retuns as the stunning beauty Mary Jane Parker.

Most of the comic book movies have done well in staying faithful to their characters but "Spider Man" did the best job at maintaining the character of the classic Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man better than any other comic book movies I've seen. I have faith in this sequel living up to the original. The second X-Men movie did just that, improving upon the greatness of the first and I hope "Spider Man II" will do just the same.

This Boy's Life
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Home Video (30 April, 1996)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A Wonderful And Disturbing Film
This movie is about a mother and son, played by Ellen Barkin and Leonardo DiCaprio, who move in with the mother's new husband Dwight, played by Robert DeNiro, whose true colors come out after they move in. This is a serious and often disturbing film. Dwight and Tobey(DiCaprio)do not get along. This leads to a number of confrontations that are both verbal and physical. The physical fights are extremely unnerving. You have been warned. It is beautifully acted and written. DeNiro is very electrifying and larger than life. He is down right terrifying. DiCaprio is just as good. The guy can act. Ellen Barkin is good, but she is sort of a co-star and doesn't seem as important. The final climax is one hell of a memorable scene. It's almost worth the price of rental alone. See this movie. You'll be deeply satisfied.

Real. Absolutely REAL.
I have always liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that his portrayal in the television show 'Growing Pains' was very heartfelt and brought a lot of depth to the show. Since the time that he first started there, I began to fall more and more deeply in love with his acting ability and his talent. There are, however, few of his movies until recently (Gangs of New York) that I could say I really enjoyed. This was one of those few. I tend to carry a copy of this movie around with me now in the hopes that I'll find a video player, that is how intense my feelings are for this particular movie. I have also read Tobias Wolff's autobiography on which this movie was based, and I have got to say that the movie outshines even the book! A rare thing indeed!

Never have I seen better acting than that which is performed by DiCaprio and De Niro in this particular movie. They are a stunning team, work brilliantly together, and truly bring the effect of the relationship between Jack (Tobias) and his step-father home to the audience. If this movie doesn't make you cry, nothing will! The film industry needs to put out more movies like this more regularly. Nothing can compare to a great movie with a lot of heart that shows, ultimately *reality*. "This Boy's Life" does just that where many, many others have failed. Brilliant acting by DiCaprio, De Niro and Barkin and outstanding directing make this one to own and to treasure.

Not Just Another Leo Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro star in the drama "This Boy's Life" about the true life of Tobias Woolf. This highly dramatic movie contains many shocking scenes that may become eye openers to some. Such intensity keeps the audience closely watching every second. The extreme of it forces the audience to feel what every character feels. More than just the excellent screenplay writing acts out this task. The cast and crew brilliantly perform their roles.

Every actor assists with the audience impacts with their wonderful performances. No one holds back a drop of emotion from their characters. Robert De Niro wonderfully plays a child abuser. Though few will like the character, he'll be remembered by many. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Barkin brilliantly play the victims. This is more noticable in DiCaprio because the cruelty hits him the hardest. His closely-breaking-down parts are performed realisticly.

"This Boy's Life" is the movie for those who are looking for a power drama. Its impact will never be forgotten by anyone. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.

This Boy's Life
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Studios (09 June, 1998)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A Wonderful And Disturbing Film
This movie is about a mother and son, played by Ellen Barkin and Leonardo DiCaprio, who move in with the mother's new husband Dwight, played by Robert DeNiro, whose true colors come out after they move in. This is a serious and often disturbing film. Dwight and Tobey(DiCaprio)do not get along. This leads to a number of confrontations that are both verbal and physical. The physical fights are extremely unnerving. You have been warned. It is beautifully acted and written. DeNiro is very electrifying and larger than life. He is down right terrifying. DiCaprio is just as good. The guy can act. Ellen Barkin is good, but she is sort of a co-star and doesn't seem as important. The final climax is one hell of a memorable scene. It's almost worth the price of rental alone. See this movie. You'll be deeply satisfied.

Real. Absolutely REAL.
I have always liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that his portrayal in the television show 'Growing Pains' was very heartfelt and brought a lot of depth to the show. Since the time that he first started there, I began to fall more and more deeply in love with his acting ability and his talent. There are, however, few of his movies until recently (Gangs of New York) that I could say I really enjoyed. This was one of those few. I tend to carry a copy of this movie around with me now in the hopes that I'll find a video player, that is how intense my feelings are for this particular movie. I have also read Tobias Wolff's autobiography on which this movie was based, and I have got to say that the movie outshines even the book! A rare thing indeed!

Never have I seen better acting than that which is performed by DiCaprio and De Niro in this particular movie. They are a stunning team, work brilliantly together, and truly bring the effect of the relationship between Jack (Tobias) and his step-father home to the audience. If this movie doesn't make you cry, nothing will! The film industry needs to put out more movies like this more regularly. Nothing can compare to a great movie with a lot of heart that shows, ultimately *reality*. "This Boy's Life" does just that where many, many others have failed. Brilliant acting by DiCaprio, De Niro and Barkin and outstanding directing make this one to own and to treasure.

Not Just Another Leo Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro star in the drama "This Boy's Life" about the true life of Tobias Woolf. This highly dramatic movie contains many shocking scenes that may become eye openers to some. Such intensity keeps the audience closely watching every second. The extreme of it forces the audience to feel what every character feels. More than just the excellent screenplay writing acts out this task. The cast and crew brilliantly perform their roles.

Every actor assists with the audience impacts with their wonderful performances. No one holds back a drop of emotion from their characters. Robert De Niro wonderfully plays a child abuser. Though few will like the character, he'll be remembered by many. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Barkin brilliantly play the victims. This is more noticable in DiCaprio because the cruelty hits him the hardest. His closely-breaking-down parts are performed realisticly.

"This Boy's Life" is the movie for those who are looking for a power drama. Its impact will never be forgotten by anyone. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.

This Boy's Life
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Studios (30 April, 1996)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A Wonderful And Disturbing Film
This movie is about a mother and son, played by Ellen Barkin and Leonardo DiCaprio, who move in with the mother's new husband Dwight, played by Robert DeNiro, whose true colors come out after they move in. This is a serious and often disturbing film. Dwight and Tobey(DiCaprio)do not get along. This leads to a number of confrontations that are both verbal and physical. The physical fights are extremely unnerving. You have been warned. It is beautifully acted and written. DeNiro is very electrifying and larger than life. He is down right terrifying. DiCaprio is just as good. The guy can act. Ellen Barkin is good, but she is sort of a co-star and doesn't seem as important. The final climax is one hell of a memorable scene. It's almost worth the price of rental alone. See this movie. You'll be deeply satisfied.

Real. Absolutely REAL.
I have always liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that his portrayal in the television show 'Growing Pains' was very heartfelt and brought a lot of depth to the show. Since the time that he first started there, I began to fall more and more deeply in love with his acting ability and his talent. There are, however, few of his movies until recently (Gangs of New York) that I could say I really enjoyed. This was one of those few. I tend to carry a copy of this movie around with me now in the hopes that I'll find a video player, that is how intense my feelings are for this particular movie. I have also read Tobias Wolff's autobiography on which this movie was based, and I have got to say that the movie outshines even the book! A rare thing indeed!

Never have I seen better acting than that which is performed by DiCaprio and De Niro in this particular movie. They are a stunning team, work brilliantly together, and truly bring the effect of the relationship between Jack (Tobias) and his step-father home to the audience. If this movie doesn't make you cry, nothing will! The film industry needs to put out more movies like this more regularly. Nothing can compare to a great movie with a lot of heart that shows, ultimately *reality*. "This Boy's Life" does just that where many, many others have failed. Brilliant acting by DiCaprio, De Niro and Barkin and outstanding directing make this one to own and to treasure.

Not Just Another Leo Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro star in the drama "This Boy's Life" about the true life of Tobias Woolf. This highly dramatic movie contains many shocking scenes that may become eye openers to some. Such intensity keeps the audience closely watching every second. The extreme of it forces the audience to feel what every character feels. More than just the excellent screenplay writing acts out this task. The cast and crew brilliantly perform their roles.

Every actor assists with the audience impacts with their wonderful performances. No one holds back a drop of emotion from their characters. Robert De Niro wonderfully plays a child abuser. Though few will like the character, he'll be remembered by many. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Barkin brilliantly play the victims. This is more noticable in DiCaprio because the cruelty hits him the hardest. His closely-breaking-down parts are performed realisticly.

"This Boy's Life" is the movie for those who are looking for a power drama. Its impact will never be forgotten by anyone. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.

This Boy's Life
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Studios (09 June, 1998)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A Wonderful And Disturbing Film
This movie is about a mother and son, played by Ellen Barkin and Leonardo DiCaprio, who move in with the mother's new husband Dwight, played by Robert DeNiro, whose true colors come out after they move in. This is a serious and often disturbing film. Dwight and Tobey(DiCaprio)do not get along. This leads to a number of confrontations that are both verbal and physical. The physical fights are extremely unnerving. You have been warned. It is beautifully acted and written. DeNiro is very electrifying and larger than life. He is down right terrifying. DiCaprio is just as good. The guy can act. Ellen Barkin is good, but she is sort of a co-star and doesn't seem as important. The final climax is one hell of a memorable scene. It's almost worth the price of rental alone. See this movie. You'll be deeply satisfied.

Real. Absolutely REAL.
I have always liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that his portrayal in the television show 'Growing Pains' was very heartfelt and brought a lot of depth to the show. Since the time that he first started there, I began to fall more and more deeply in love with his acting ability and his talent. There are, however, few of his movies until recently (Gangs of New York) that I could say I really enjoyed. This was one of those few. I tend to carry a copy of this movie around with me now in the hopes that I'll find a video player, that is how intense my feelings are for this particular movie. I have also read Tobias Wolff's autobiography on which this movie was based, and I have got to say that the movie outshines even the book! A rare thing indeed!

Never have I seen better acting than that which is performed by DiCaprio and De Niro in this particular movie. They are a stunning team, work brilliantly together, and truly bring the effect of the relationship between Jack (Tobias) and his step-father home to the audience. If this movie doesn't make you cry, nothing will! The film industry needs to put out more movies like this more regularly. Nothing can compare to a great movie with a lot of heart that shows, ultimately *reality*. "This Boy's Life" does just that where many, many others have failed. Brilliant acting by DiCaprio, De Niro and Barkin and outstanding directing make this one to own and to treasure.

Not Just Another Leo Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro star in the drama "This Boy's Life" about the true life of Tobias Woolf. This highly dramatic movie contains many shocking scenes that may become eye openers to some. Such intensity keeps the audience closely watching every second. The extreme of it forces the audience to feel what every character feels. More than just the excellent screenplay writing acts out this task. The cast and crew brilliantly perform their roles.

Every actor assists with the audience impacts with their wonderful performances. No one holds back a drop of emotion from their characters. Robert De Niro wonderfully plays a child abuser. Though few will like the character, he'll be remembered by many. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Barkin brilliantly play the victims. This is more noticable in DiCaprio because the cruelty hits him the hardest. His closely-breaking-down parts are performed realisticly.

"This Boy's Life" is the movie for those who are looking for a power drama. Its impact will never be forgotten by anyone. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.

This Boy's Life
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Studios (01 February, 2000)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Woolf. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy," he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope, and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency, and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

Not Just Another Leo Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro star in the drama "This Boy's Life" about the true life of Tobias Woolf. This highly dramatic movie contains many shocking scenes that may become eye openers to some. Such intensity keeps the audience closely watching every second. The extreme of it forces the audience to feel what every character feels. More than just the excellent screenplay writing acts out this task. The cast and crew brilliantly perform their roles.

Every actor assists with the audience impacts with their wonderful performances. No one holds back a drop of emotion from their characters. Robert De Niro wonderfully plays a child abuser. Though few will like the character, he'll be remembered by many. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Barkin brilliantly play the victims. This is more noticable in DiCaprio because the cruelty hits him the hardest. His closely-breaking-down parts are performed realisticly.

"This Boy's Life" is the movie for those who are looking for a power drama. Its impact will never be forgotten by anyone. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.

Real. Absolutely REAL.
I have always liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that his portrayal in the television show 'Growing Pains' was very heartfelt and brought a lot of depth to the show. Since the time that he first started there, I began to fall more and more deeply in love with his acting ability and his talent. There are, however, few of his movies until recently (Gangs of New York) that I could say I really enjoyed. This was one of those few. I tend to carry a copy of this movie around with me now in the hopes that I'll find a video player, that is how intense my feelings are for this particular movie. I have also read Tobias Wolff's autobiography on which this movie was based, and I have got to say that the movie outshines even the book! A rare thing indeed!

Never have I seen better acting than that which is performed by DiCaprio and De Niro in this particular movie. They are a stunning team, work brilliantly together, and truly bring the effect of the relationship between Jack (Tobias) and his step-father home to the audience. If this movie doesn't make you cry, nothing will! The film industry needs to put out more movies like this more regularly. Nothing can compare to a great movie with a lot of heart that shows, ultimately *reality*. "This Boy's Life" does just that where many, many others have failed. Brilliant acting by DiCaprio, De Niro and Barkin and outstanding directing make this one to own and to treasure.

Touches sensitive issues
I have watched this movie many times on VHS. After I write this, I am going to order it on DVD. The issues it touches are single mothers, abusive fathers, and homosexuality. I have read all the reviews that other people wrote and didn't see this last topic touched upon. It also is intertwined with the issue of bullying. Two other boys look upon the gay boy as being weak just because he was gay. They convince Dwight (Leonardo) to pick a fight with this boy. The gay boy wins the fight and he and Leonardo become friends due to a mutual interest in playing the piano. Dwight, going to a new school at high school age, which is always a difficult adjustment, is desperately in need of friends. This was very moving to me.
In addition, there is a wonderful conclusion to Dwight's problems with his abusive father (Robert Deniro). I disagree with the reviewer who disliked the ending. Watch this movie. It is so overlooked. Yet it is one of my favorites-a very moving experience.

Ride With the Devil
Released in VHS Tape by Universal Studios (16 January, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, and Jewel Kilcher
Great period pictures make you feel as if you've stepped into another era, heard its language, breathed its spirit, and come away with a fresh perspective on that time as well as your own. Ride with the Devil is one of those special films--why wasn't it more widely embraced by reviewers and filmgoers? Did it rely too much on our patience for slow accumulation of unforced rhythms and meanings (as opposed to The Patriot, which "moved" audiences with cattle-prod simplicity and manipulation)? Ride with the Devil--smart, handsome, tenderly awed by how individual lives get ambushed by history--is ripe for rediscovery.

The Civil War of battlefields and plantation houses is nowhere to be seen here. Instead we see the war as an improvised and largely blundering but very bloody feud among neighbors in the border state of Missouri. In this bucolic war zone--more than a little reminiscent of the Balkans in the late 1990s--the Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) traces the destinies of several young Southern bushwhackers (guerrilla fighters) as they experience violence, the seasons, and different kinds of love. Skeet Ulrich draws the aristocratic glamour role (and top billing), but he's overshadowed by Tobey Maguire as a first-generation American, the magnificent Jeffrey Wright (a shameful oversight at Oscar time) as a freed slave fighting beside his former master, and singer Jewel in a very natural acting debut as the young widow who graces all their lives. The title The Birth of a Nation was already taken, but by the end of this movie you feel it would have applied here. -- Richard T. Jameson

Average review score:

Important Piece of American Cinema
Ride With the Devil is a groundbreaking piece from Ang Lee (who brought us The Ice Storm and Sense and Sensibility). The film takes a look at the frontier wars on the Kansas/Missouri border during the Civil War. Tobey Maguire shows his talents as Jake Roedel, who joins the group with his best friend, Jack Bull, who is played by the gifted Skeet Ulrich. Jewel shines as Sue Lee Shelley, the love interest of both men. Lastly, the role of Daniel Holt was insightful and thought-provoking, played by the little-known Jefrey Wright. The battle scenes were bloody and realistic. The film shows you a part of the Civil War that you might not read about in textbooks.

A Heck of a Ride
This is one of those rare movies where everybody got it right ---from the cinematography to the casting; from the musical score to film editing; from costume design to second unit directing this movie is nearly flawless. The directing by Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) and the performance by a wonderful ensemble cast put this movie in a league with the great modern frontier movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Long Riders.

Set on the Missouri/Kansas border during the American Civil War, the movie faithfully recreates the story told by Daniel Woodrell in his wonderful novel, Woe To Live On. The book is worth reading for the dialogue alone and the movie is worth watching simply for James Schamus' magnificent screenplay: But there is much move to love about this movie.

The tapestry upon which the story of Ride With The Devil is painted is a violent one but, apart from some very graphic scenes, is more about human nature than anything else. Indeed, the depth of the violence only adds to the poignancy of the surprisingly frequent gentle scenes that occur in the movie. Tobey Macguire is perfect in the lead role, Jewel gives a surprisingly intuitive performance, and Jefrey Wright almost steals the show with his low-key, but passionate performance as a freed slave riding with a gang of white bushwhackers. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Macguire's nemesis, has a small part but is death himself. (His final confrontation with Macguire is brief and chilling --- and encapsulates the entire sense and sensibility of the movie.)

Sadly, this movie will probably go unnoticed by the general public since it seems to have had a limited release in the US and gone almost immediately from the theater to the rental market. Hopefully word-of-mouth will build interest in this truly remarkable American classic. Watch it --- but read the book too.

Jewel was SO amazing :)
The only reason that I wanted to see this movie was because my favorite singer, Jewel was in it. The first time I saw this movie I loved it, and I still do. :o) I loved the story, the acting, the music, and everything about it. Especially Jewel. She was SO amazing as Sue Lee Shelly, and Jewel is an amazing actress (unlike other singers like Mariah Carrey and Britney Spears ^^). The other actors in the movie are excellent too. I recommend this movie to movie fans, and Jewel fans. I also loved Jewel's music video "What's Simple is True".

Ride With the Devil
Released in VHS Tape by Universal Studios (16 January, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, and Jewel Kilcher
Great period pictures make you feel as if you've stepped into another era, heard its language, breathed its spirit, and come away with a fresh perspective on that time as well as your own. Ride with the Devil is one of those special films--why wasn't it more widely embraced by reviewers and filmgoers? Did it rely too much on our patience for slow accumulation of unforced rhythms and meanings (as opposed to The Patriot, which "moved" audiences with cattle-prod simplicity and manipulation)? Ride with the Devil--smart, handsome, tenderly awed by how individual lives get ambushed by history--is ripe for rediscovery.

The Civil War of battlefields and plantation houses is nowhere to be seen here. Instead we see the war as an improvised and largely blundering but very bloody feud among neighbors in the border state of Missouri. In this bucolic war zone--more than a little reminiscent of the Balkans in the late 1990s--the Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) traces the destinies of several young Southern bushwhackers (guerrilla fighters) as they experience violence, the seasons, and different kinds of love. Skeet Ulrich draws the aristocratic glamour role (and top billing), but he's overshadowed by Tobey Maguire as a first-generation American, the magnificent Jeffrey Wright (a shameful oversight at Oscar time) as a freed slave fighting beside his former master, and singer Jewel in a very natural acting debut as the young widow who graces all their lives. The title The Birth of a Nation was already taken, but by the end of this movie you feel it would have applied here. -- Richard T. Jameson

Average review score:

Important Piece of American Cinema
Ride With the Devil is a groundbreaking piece from Ang Lee (who brought us The Ice Storm and Sense and Sensibility). The film takes a look at the frontier wars on the Kansas/Missouri border during the Civil War. Tobey Maguire shows his talents as Jake Roedel, who joins the group with his best friend, Jack Bull, who is played by the gifted Skeet Ulrich. Jewel shines as Sue Lee Shelley, the love interest of both men. Lastly, the role of Daniel Holt was insightful and thought-provoking, played by the little-known Jefrey Wright. The battle scenes were bloody and realistic. The film shows you a part of the Civil War that you might not read about in textbooks.

A Heck of a Ride
This is one of those rare movies where everybody got it right ---from the cinematography to the casting; from the musical score to film editing; from costume design to second unit directing this movie is nearly flawless. The directing by Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) and the performance by a wonderful ensemble cast put this movie in a league with the great modern frontier movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Long Riders.

Set on the Missouri/Kansas border during the American Civil War, the movie faithfully recreates the story told by Daniel Woodrell in his wonderful novel, Woe To Live On. The book is worth reading for the dialogue alone and the movie is worth watching simply for James Schamus' magnificent screenplay: But there is much move to love about this movie.

The tapestry upon which the story of Ride With The Devil is painted is a violent one but, apart from some very graphic scenes, is more about human nature than anything else. Indeed, the depth of the violence only adds to the poignancy of the surprisingly frequent gentle scenes that occur in the movie. Tobey Macguire is perfect in the lead role, Jewel gives a surprisingly intuitive performance, and Jefrey Wright almost steals the show with his low-key, but passionate performance as a freed slave riding with a gang of white bushwhackers. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Macguire's nemesis, has a small part but is death himself. (His final confrontation with Macguire is brief and chilling --- and encapsulates the entire sense and sensibility of the movie.)

Sadly, this movie will probably go unnoticed by the general public since it seems to have had a limited release in the US and gone almost immediately from the theater to the rental market. Hopefully word-of-mouth will build interest in this truly remarkable American classic. Watch it --- but read the book too.

Jewel was SO amazing :)
The only reason that I wanted to see this movie was because my favorite singer, Jewel was in it. The first time I saw this movie I loved it, and I still do. :o) I loved the story, the acting, the music, and everything about it. Especially Jewel. She was SO amazing as Sue Lee Shelly, and Jewel is an amazing actress (unlike other singers like Mariah Carrey and Britney Spears ^^). The other actors in the movie are excellent too. I recommend this movie to movie fans, and Jewel fans. I also loved Jewel's music video "What's Simple is True".

The Ice Storm
Released in VHS Tape by Twentieth Century Fox (02 April, 2002)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline and Joan Allen
Asian American director Ang Lee sums up America in the early 1970s by focusing on the arrival of the sexual revolution in the 'burbs. Isolationism within a family, consumerism, and selfishness are personified by a cast that captures the self-obsession within two New England families. As the children struggle awkwardly with adolescence, their parents stumble through sexual experimentation. In the days of Watergate and Vietnam, society is breaking boundaries and ignoring convention. Following suit, these families are eschewing polite barriers and social taboos, with disastrous results. The "ice storm" of the title refers not only to a natural phenomenon but is a (rather heavy-handed) metaphor for a pervasive emotional temperament. The entire cast delivers textured, finely nuanced performances. This movie lingers in the psyche not only for the scope of the tragedy at its conclusion, but for Lee's often humorous and stingingly accurate assessment of pop culture. Based on Rick Moody's novel, this won the best-screenplay award at Cannes in 1997. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Average review score:

Frozen Hearts
After the huge success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", audiences are watching closely Ang Lee's works, but they should better see his previous works, like this "The Ice Storm", to find out that his latest is not a fluke. By the way, this film is one of the most underrated film of 1997.

"The Ice Storm" follows a couple of days in the lives of two ordinary American families which happen to be very related in many senses. In 1973, these people will experience love, discoveries, pain and death. The '70s are known as the decade of the dialogue, but the film is very silent and the characters don't talk very much. Sometimes, when a problem does not have a solution the only thing to do is stay quiet. And they do it all the time.

The movie tackles subject very common by that time. All the characters seem to be dealing with sex somehow. The teens are starting to touch their bodies and also their friends'. The adults look so bored that having sex is meaningless no matter whom they do with. Even a 'car key party' does not help them to feel much more excited.

Lee's direction is discreet and effective. The photography goes very fine with the temperature of the characters' feelings. It's so effective that even you being in your warming home can feel the cold breeze freezing your skin. It's frightening to see how damaging frozen water can be. Michael Danna's score helps to make the audience feels cold, as the people in the movie. The cast is flawless, mainly Chistina Ricci, Tobey Maguire and Elijah Wood. The script wirtten by David Schamus-- based upon Rick Moody's novel --was awarded in Cannes and is very impressive -- even tough some of the most painful parts of the novel were left out.

The title ice storm that falls nearly the end of the picture is merciless. And its results, devastating. It seems to reach every character's heart somehow. Nevertheless, there are no easy solutions -- or even any solution -- to the edgy situation they are living. So they will have to live with their frozen hearts forever. The closing sequence is a punch in the stomach. And David Bowie's "I Can't Read" makes this punchs be even harder.

The Best Movie of 1997 and then some
I rented this movie on a Christmas Eve last year and haven't been the same since. The sadness, the angst, the coldness of our modern existence are all laid out here for all to see. Desperately, the characters try to add some sort of pleasure to their staid suburban lives but end up feeling cold....Sigourney Weaver blows me away with her performance, she should always do serious dramatic work instead of being exploited into "comedy" or disasters like Alien Resurrection. The young tobey maguire is heartwrenching, his voice overs are incredibly moving. I love every aspect of this film and I think that it is sad that American Beauty, a completely inferior film takes home oscars while The Ice Storm was virtually ignored. Forget the no-talent establisment Kevin Spacey and go for this film to see a Kevin Kline you've never seen before.

This is a great movie, the other side of suburbia...........
This is a powerful movie. I was able to really get into this movie. Its setting is the 1970s with the ending of the Nixon white house, post woodstock rock, drugs, alcohol, experimentation, sexuality.

What I found really gripping is that the social-strata class depicted are caucasin, uppper-middle class, well to do families. Of course this is the cosmetics or what is seen from the outside.

The fathers are too busy to spend time with their wives and children. Bonding is not part of the family fabric. The children are not nutured and emotionally taken into account. It is all about the big dollars, wife swapping, kids gone off to some prep school in which one of the kids father played by Kevin Kline is clueless as to how his son is really doing in school. He doesn't even know how to approach the topic of sex with his son.

This movie is gripping; it is powerful; it held my complete and undivided attention. I give this movie 5 stars........ The producers and directors did an outstanding job. This movie is one of those few that a great deal of energy was put into the structure and unfolding story. It has substance.

Mr. Diego Rodriguez
Chicago, Illinois

The Ice Storm
Released in VHS Tape by Twentieth Century Fox (02 April, 2002)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline and Joan Allen
Asian American director Ang Lee sums up America in the early 1970s by focusing on the arrival of the sexual revolution in the 'burbs. Isolationism within a family, consumerism, and selfishness are personified by a cast that captures the self-obsession within two New England families. As the children struggle awkwardly with adolescence, their parents stumble through sexual experimentation. In the days of Watergate and Vietnam, society is breaking boundaries and ignoring convention. Following suit, these families are eschewing polite barriers and social taboos, with disastrous results. The "ice storm" of the title refers not only to a natural phenomenon but is a (rather heavy-handed) metaphor for a pervasive emotional temperament. The entire cast delivers textured, finely nuanced performances. This movie lingers in the psyche not only for the scope of the tragedy at its conclusion, but for Lee's often humorous and stingingly accurate assessment of pop culture. Based on Rick Moody's novel, this won the best-screenplay award at Cannes in 1997. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Average review score:

Frozen Hearts
After the huge success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", audiences are watching closely Ang Lee's works, but they should better see his previous works, like this "The Ice Storm", to find out that his latest is not a fluke. By the way, this film is one of the most underrated film of 1997.

"The Ice Storm" follows a couple of days in the lives of two ordinary American families which happen to be very related in many senses. In 1973, these people will experience love, discoveries, pain and death. The '70s are known as the decade of the dialogue, but the film is very silent and the characters don't talk very much. Sometimes, when a problem does not have a solution the only thing to do is stay quiet. And they do it all the time.

The movie tackles subject very common by that time. All the characters seem to be dealing with sex somehow. The teens are starting to touch their bodies and also their friends'. The adults look so bored that having sex is meaningless no matter whom they do with. Even a 'car key party' does not help them to feel much more excited.

Lee's direction is discreet and effective. The photography goes very fine with the temperature of the characters' feelings. It's so effective that even you being in your warming home can feel the cold breeze freezing your skin. It's frightening to see how damaging frozen water can be. Michael Danna's score helps to make the audience feels cold, as the people in the movie. The cast is flawless, mainly Chistina Ricci, Tobey Maguire and Elijah Wood. The script wirtten by David Schamus-- based upon Rick Moody's novel --was awarded in Cannes and is very impressive -- even tough some of the most painful parts of the novel were left out.

The title ice storm that falls nearly the end of the picture is merciless. And its results, devastating. It seems to reach every character's heart somehow. Nevertheless, there are no easy solutions -- or even any solution -- to the edgy situation they are living. So they will have to live with their frozen hearts forever. The closing sequence is a punch in the stomach. And David Bowie's "I Can't Read" makes this punchs be even harder.

The Best Movie of 1997 and then some
I rented this movie on a Christmas Eve last year and haven't been the same since. The sadness, the angst, the coldness of our modern existence are all laid out here for all to see. Desperately, the characters try to add some sort of pleasure to their staid suburban lives but end up feeling cold....Sigourney Weaver blows me away with her performance, she should always do serious dramatic work instead of being exploited into "comedy" or disasters like Alien Resurrection. The young tobey maguire is heartwrenching, his voice overs are incredibly moving. I love every aspect of this film and I think that it is sad that American Beauty, a completely inferior film takes home oscars while The Ice Storm was virtually ignored. Forget the no-talent establisment Kevin Spacey and go for this film to see a Kevin Kline you've never seen before.

This is a great movie, the other side of suburbia...........
This is a powerful movie. I was able to really get into this movie. Its setting is the 1970s with the ending of the Nixon white house, post woodstock rock, drugs, alcohol, experimentation, sexuality.

What I found really gripping is that the social-strata class depicted are caucasin, uppper-middle class, well to do families. Of course this is the cosmetics or what is seen from the outside.

The fathers are too busy to spend time with their wives and children. Bonding is not part of the family fabric. The children are not nutured and emotionally taken into account. It is all about the big dollars, wife swapping, kids gone off to some prep school in which one of the kids father played by Kevin Kline is clueless as to how his son is really doing in school. He doesn't even know how to approach the topic of sex with his son.

This movie is gripping; it is powerful; it held my complete and undivided attention. I give this movie 5 stars........ The producers and directors did an outstanding job. This movie is one of those few that a great deal of energy was put into the structure and unfolding story. It has substance.

Mr. Diego Rodriguez
Chicago, Illinois

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